Post by Kassandros on Dec 8, 2009 17:59:41 GMT -5
;D ;D ;D ;D
www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/24245/
EU Postpones Decision on Macedonia
Brussels | 08 December 2009 |
Gruevski and Rehn, archive photoEU foreign ministers postponed a decision for the start of accession talks with Macedonia, after Greece opposed an early start to the talks.
EU foreign ministers discussed the issue of Macedonia until late Monday in an attempt to find a breakthrough with Greece, postponing a press conference that had been scheduled for that afternoon.
The Swedish presidency had initially prepared a draft conclusion where it said ministers would consider the issue in March 2010, with a view to setting a date for the opening of accession negotiations. The Greek government objected, arguing that it would not be able to promise any dates to Macedonia.
Therefore EU ministers agreed to “return to the issue during the Spanish Presidency'', that starts on 1 January, 2010.
"The Council notes that the Commission recommends the opening of accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and will return to the matter during the next presidency," ministers said in a statement.
They stressed the need for a resolution of the name issue and of maintaining good neighborly relations. At the same time they said they were encouraged by recent positive developments in relations between Greece and Macedonia.
Macedonia has been an EU candidate country since December 2005. For a number of years the country did not fulfill necessary criteria, but in this autumn’s progress report the European Commission said Skopje is ready to start talks, and recommended member states extend a start date.
However, Greece has all along said it will block any decision to give Skopje a start date pending a solution to the 18-year-old name dispute with the country. In April 2008, Greece also blocked NATO's invitation for Macedonia’s membership in the Alliance for the same reason.
Athens claims Macedonia's constitutional name implies territorial demands over its norther province, also called Macedonia.
Macedonia's Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, in Brussels to participate in the conference, stated on Tuesday that “Greece has already done big political damage and history will prove this”.
He argued that Greece cannot remove Macedonia's name or identity, because according to him, Macedonians have existed for centuries, “ever since Alexander the Great”.
“We will not be broken by injustice. We are small but strong,” Gruevski said.
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn tried to sound a positive note on the outcome, noting that the statement permits Macedonia to continue to make progress in EU related reforms and keeps open the possibility of striving to find a solution to the name issue.
''I am glad that following the Commission's recommendation for opening accession negotiations, the Council decided to return to the matter during next the presidency, thus we have a framework for making progress on the EU road fo this country,'' he said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt noted that neither Greece nor Macedonia are happy with the outcome, but suggested that it leaves the way open for future compromise: ''This is not to the immediate immense satisfaction of either of the parties but it carries forward towards the ultimate satisfaction of both of them. That is a compromise,'' that will take ''both Europe and this part of Europe, forward,'' he added.
Gruevski has freaked out ...AGAIN!
;D ;D ;D ;D
macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/10606/45/
PM Gruevski: Events unfolded as expected
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
The events at the EU Council in Brussels were expected at great extent because Greece announced several times to block Macedonia if it does not give up our identity and our name and does not accept their conditions.
Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski assessed this on Tuesday at the press conference in Brussels after EU Council deferred a decision on opening membership talks with Macedonia during the Spanish EU presidency for the first half of 2010.
- We are very surprised but this time it was made on more sophisticated manner than in Bucharest Summit, although the possibility to debate the name issue in the next six months leaves hope that something will move in this direction, PM Gruevski said.
According to Gruevski it is obvious that Greece did not want an agreement to be reached.
- They wanted to show arguments of power and this is not a surprise. But now we cannot change anything. We have accomplished what depended from us. We are now facing 18 years old problem and the government that is not ready to come to a solution, Gruevski said.
He announced that Macedonia will continue with efforts to approach towards the EU and to find solution to name dispute. – We will continue also with internal reforms and all matters needed for Euro-Atlantic integration. But this is situation that does not depend only from us. We have fulfilled the benchmarks now there are things that do not only depend from us. Greece obviously requests things from us that no one in the world is requesting from no one, Gruevski said, adding that Macedonian side is ready to meet the Greek side but this depends from them.
Commenting the positions that Macedonia missed historical chance, Gruevski said that for him this chance was giving up the name, language and identity. – All those who criticised that we have missed the historical chance, I am answering that this chance is erasing itself from the map of nations and erasing own identity, Gruevski said.
He thanked the Chairman of the EU Council Carl Bildt who made great efforts. He said that there was support from many states – I am satisfied that Swedish EU Presidency made great efforts even greater than we expected, Gruevski said.
Today’s outcome in Brussels can be defined as new Greek hypocrisy, because as country which allegedly urges all Western Balkans to join EU as soon as possible, at the first opportunity instead of giving chance to our country to start EU accession talks, it blocks it, FM Antonio Milososki said presenting official position of the Macedonian government after EU Council deferred a decision on opening membership talks with Macedonia, after Greece opposed an early start to the negotiations.
Milososki said that blocking will not only harm the EU image but will additionally violate the reputation of the EU integration process. He thanked the Swedish EU Presidency and numerous EU member states that supported considering the issue in March 2010, with a view to setting a date for the opening of accession negotiations.
- This shows that all other member states appreciate our progress, valorize it seriously and this will be our motivation to resume the reforms and to be successful in finding ways in fulfilling our ambitions on legitimate, real and achievable way, Milososki said in the Macedonian Parliament.
Milososki said that blockades from official Athens regarding deserved opening of membership talks will not contribute in improvement of atmosphere in bilateral talks in name dispute, but at the same time Macedonia will continue here which considered constructive contribution aimed at moving forward. - However, I’m pointing out that blockades will not bring advantage; Athens blockades will not change our minds to continue to represent and to defend our constitutional norms and our national, lingual and Macedonian identity. It is European value and it would be contradictory if a member state expects with its abuse of membership to disable a small peaceful nation to clearly express and to promote its national and state identity, Milososki said.
A statement agreed by EU foreign ministers in Brussels today said they would consider the issue again during the Spanish EU presidency in the first half of 2010.
The European Union has deferred decision on opening membership talks with Macedonia for next year, EU Enlargement Commission Olli Rehn said after EU Council meeting ends in Brussels.
- The EU council notes that the commission recommends the opening of accession negotiations with Macedonia and will return to the matter during the Spanish EU Presidency, starting from Jan. 1, 2010, Rehn said at the press conference.
EU foreign ministers in Brussels after two-day debate said Tuesday they would consider the issue again during the Spanish EU Presidency, which runs from 1 January until 30 June 2010, media reports from Brussels.
Although many EU member states backed setting a date for start of membership talks, still it is postponed due to Greece opposing and insisting on previously resolving the name issue. This will only further complicate things in 2010.
Really now.. .what part of the word NEVER he cannot get? ;D ;D ;D
www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/24245/
EU Postpones Decision on Macedonia
Brussels | 08 December 2009 |
Gruevski and Rehn, archive photoEU foreign ministers postponed a decision for the start of accession talks with Macedonia, after Greece opposed an early start to the talks.
EU foreign ministers discussed the issue of Macedonia until late Monday in an attempt to find a breakthrough with Greece, postponing a press conference that had been scheduled for that afternoon.
The Swedish presidency had initially prepared a draft conclusion where it said ministers would consider the issue in March 2010, with a view to setting a date for the opening of accession negotiations. The Greek government objected, arguing that it would not be able to promise any dates to Macedonia.
Therefore EU ministers agreed to “return to the issue during the Spanish Presidency'', that starts on 1 January, 2010.
"The Council notes that the Commission recommends the opening of accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and will return to the matter during the next presidency," ministers said in a statement.
They stressed the need for a resolution of the name issue and of maintaining good neighborly relations. At the same time they said they were encouraged by recent positive developments in relations between Greece and Macedonia.
Macedonia has been an EU candidate country since December 2005. For a number of years the country did not fulfill necessary criteria, but in this autumn’s progress report the European Commission said Skopje is ready to start talks, and recommended member states extend a start date.
However, Greece has all along said it will block any decision to give Skopje a start date pending a solution to the 18-year-old name dispute with the country. In April 2008, Greece also blocked NATO's invitation for Macedonia’s membership in the Alliance for the same reason.
Athens claims Macedonia's constitutional name implies territorial demands over its norther province, also called Macedonia.
Macedonia's Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, in Brussels to participate in the conference, stated on Tuesday that “Greece has already done big political damage and history will prove this”.
He argued that Greece cannot remove Macedonia's name or identity, because according to him, Macedonians have existed for centuries, “ever since Alexander the Great”.
“We will not be broken by injustice. We are small but strong,” Gruevski said.
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn tried to sound a positive note on the outcome, noting that the statement permits Macedonia to continue to make progress in EU related reforms and keeps open the possibility of striving to find a solution to the name issue.
''I am glad that following the Commission's recommendation for opening accession negotiations, the Council decided to return to the matter during next the presidency, thus we have a framework for making progress on the EU road fo this country,'' he said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt noted that neither Greece nor Macedonia are happy with the outcome, but suggested that it leaves the way open for future compromise: ''This is not to the immediate immense satisfaction of either of the parties but it carries forward towards the ultimate satisfaction of both of them. That is a compromise,'' that will take ''both Europe and this part of Europe, forward,'' he added.
Gruevski has freaked out ...AGAIN!
;D ;D ;D ;D
macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/10606/45/
PM Gruevski: Events unfolded as expected
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
The events at the EU Council in Brussels were expected at great extent because Greece announced several times to block Macedonia if it does not give up our identity and our name and does not accept their conditions.
Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski assessed this on Tuesday at the press conference in Brussels after EU Council deferred a decision on opening membership talks with Macedonia during the Spanish EU presidency for the first half of 2010.
- We are very surprised but this time it was made on more sophisticated manner than in Bucharest Summit, although the possibility to debate the name issue in the next six months leaves hope that something will move in this direction, PM Gruevski said.
According to Gruevski it is obvious that Greece did not want an agreement to be reached.
- They wanted to show arguments of power and this is not a surprise. But now we cannot change anything. We have accomplished what depended from us. We are now facing 18 years old problem and the government that is not ready to come to a solution, Gruevski said.
He announced that Macedonia will continue with efforts to approach towards the EU and to find solution to name dispute. – We will continue also with internal reforms and all matters needed for Euro-Atlantic integration. But this is situation that does not depend only from us. We have fulfilled the benchmarks now there are things that do not only depend from us. Greece obviously requests things from us that no one in the world is requesting from no one, Gruevski said, adding that Macedonian side is ready to meet the Greek side but this depends from them.
Commenting the positions that Macedonia missed historical chance, Gruevski said that for him this chance was giving up the name, language and identity. – All those who criticised that we have missed the historical chance, I am answering that this chance is erasing itself from the map of nations and erasing own identity, Gruevski said.
He thanked the Chairman of the EU Council Carl Bildt who made great efforts. He said that there was support from many states – I am satisfied that Swedish EU Presidency made great efforts even greater than we expected, Gruevski said.
Today’s outcome in Brussels can be defined as new Greek hypocrisy, because as country which allegedly urges all Western Balkans to join EU as soon as possible, at the first opportunity instead of giving chance to our country to start EU accession talks, it blocks it, FM Antonio Milososki said presenting official position of the Macedonian government after EU Council deferred a decision on opening membership talks with Macedonia, after Greece opposed an early start to the negotiations.
Milososki said that blocking will not only harm the EU image but will additionally violate the reputation of the EU integration process. He thanked the Swedish EU Presidency and numerous EU member states that supported considering the issue in March 2010, with a view to setting a date for the opening of accession negotiations.
- This shows that all other member states appreciate our progress, valorize it seriously and this will be our motivation to resume the reforms and to be successful in finding ways in fulfilling our ambitions on legitimate, real and achievable way, Milososki said in the Macedonian Parliament.
Milososki said that blockades from official Athens regarding deserved opening of membership talks will not contribute in improvement of atmosphere in bilateral talks in name dispute, but at the same time Macedonia will continue here which considered constructive contribution aimed at moving forward. - However, I’m pointing out that blockades will not bring advantage; Athens blockades will not change our minds to continue to represent and to defend our constitutional norms and our national, lingual and Macedonian identity. It is European value and it would be contradictory if a member state expects with its abuse of membership to disable a small peaceful nation to clearly express and to promote its national and state identity, Milososki said.
A statement agreed by EU foreign ministers in Brussels today said they would consider the issue again during the Spanish EU presidency in the first half of 2010.
The European Union has deferred decision on opening membership talks with Macedonia for next year, EU Enlargement Commission Olli Rehn said after EU Council meeting ends in Brussels.
- The EU council notes that the commission recommends the opening of accession negotiations with Macedonia and will return to the matter during the Spanish EU Presidency, starting from Jan. 1, 2010, Rehn said at the press conference.
EU foreign ministers in Brussels after two-day debate said Tuesday they would consider the issue again during the Spanish EU Presidency, which runs from 1 January until 30 June 2010, media reports from Brussels.
Although many EU member states backed setting a date for start of membership talks, still it is postponed due to Greece opposing and insisting on previously resolving the name issue. This will only further complicate things in 2010.
Really now.. .what part of the word NEVER he cannot get? ;D ;D ;D