FYROM now Macedonia; Greeks pissed off.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-11-05 07:27am

Linka for Vympel

Formally Macedonia

The ambassador of Macedonia was delighted yesterday after he learned the United States decided to recognize his country by the name it calls itself instead of the cumbersome acronym, FYROM.

The Greek Embassy, however, expressed the outrage of its government, which claims the name, Macedonia, as part of its heritage and as the name of a province in northern Greece.

"It's a great day," said Macedonian Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov, whose country was previously referred to in Washington as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

"We regard this decision as a message of support for Macedonia's policies, statehood and stability."

Greece has objected to its northern neighbor's use of Macedonia as its name since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece associates the name with its cultural heritage going back to Alexander the Great, who also was called the "King of the Macedonians."

Greece was also angered because it apparently had no warning of the U.S. decision, which was first announced by Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski.

In Athens, Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis complained to U.S. Ambassador Thomas Miller, warning that the American decision will have "multiple negative consequences." Secretary of State Colin L. Powell later telephoned to "assure him that the decision is not a turn against Greece and is not linked to the U.S. elections," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The United Nations, where the country is still called FYROM, has been mediating talks between Greece and Macedonia to find a mutually acceptable name.

Mr. Dimitrov said about 100 nations, including China, Russia and Turkey, already recognized his country as the Republic of Macedonia.

"We deserve a permanent name for a permanent country, not a provisional name," he said. "To say you support that country's name is to say you support that country's future."

Some observers said the U.S. decision could help the government defeat a referendum scheduled for Sunday that would repeal certain civil rights granted to Macedonia's ethnic-Albanian minority. The granting of rights helped end ethnic strife in 2001 that threatened to throw the country into a civil war.

It also is seen as a U.S. reward for Macedonia's military support in Iraq.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-11-05 07:34am

Stupidest. International Squabble. Ever.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2004-11-05 07:42am

Here's an example of my pathetic ancient history knowledge.

Alexander the Great...from Macedonia Greece? Or this.....country...of Macedonia? Yeah, I know, google is my friend, but I'm at work, and can barely type my usual ramblings, so kiss my liberal ass.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-11-05 07:45am

Alexander the Great was from the geographical region of Macedonia, which in those days was Hellenized. After the great Slavic invasions of the Byzantine Empire, all Greece was overrun by Slavs. The Emperor Zeno (I think it was Zeno...) recolonized Greece, and drove out most of the Slavs, but some stuck in Macedonia. As the Empire crumbled, more and more gathered in the area and it began to develop a distinct entity. Then the Ottomans invaded, and by the time the Greek wars of independence began Macedonia was a totally seperate entity.

As is my limited understanding.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-11-05 08:13am

It doesn't take much to piss of the Greeks, does it? And boy do they hold grudges! Just ask the Turks.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-11-05 08:59am

It doesn't take much to piss of the Greeks, does it? And boy do they hold grudges! Just ask the Turks.

To be fair, the grudge they have against the turks concerns nearly 300 years of military occupation. Those things tend to last a while. Just look at all the southerners who still bitch about the civil war.