Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2013 8:17:07 GMT -5
Today, Matthew Nimetz, the UN mediator for talks between Greece and “the country that dare not speak its name” (i.e. either the “former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” or the “Republic of Macedonia”, depending on your position), began another round of discussions with the governments in Athens and Skopje with a view to “accelerating the process and finding a mutually acceptable resolution to the ‘name’ issue.”
The “name” issue concerns the use of the name “Macedonia” by Macedonia (former Yugoslav Republic of / Republic of), the country bordering northern Greece that was created in the wake of the breakup of Yugoslavia. The Greek government argues that calling this country the “Republic of Macedonia” will leave Greece open to territorial disputes between Skopje and a region of Greece also called Macedonia. In response, Athens has blocked Macedonian (FYRO / RO) membership of NATO and the EU until the dispute is resolved.
But will the dispute ever be resolved? Ambassador Nimetz’s previous attempts have, so far, been unsuccessful; in 2005, it was suggested that a double-barrelled name (“Republika Makedonija-Skopje”) could be a solution, but this was rejected by Skopje. The next proposal was for different names to be used in different countries, but this was rejected by Athens. This latest round of negotiations is expected to introduce some “fresh ideas” into a debate that has been going on for years.
What do YOU think? What would it take for the Macedonia name dispute to finally be resolved? Do you think it can be resolved, or will this issue drag on and on? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policy-makers and experts for their reactions.
www.debatingeurope.eu/2013/01/08/can-the-macedonia-name-dispute-be-resolved/#.UmExRBAerg0