Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski made irredentists claims to Greece and Bulgaria in his speech delivered before the Macedonian Diaspora in Sydney, Neos Kosmos reports.
According to Macedonian MIA agency, Mr. Gruevski appealed to the Macedonians in Australia to stay united.
“Macedonians in Australia are enjoying a unique opportunity to live together with their compatriots of Aegean and Pirin Macedonia, which does not happen in our motherland”, Gruevski said, asking them not to get disunited on such grounds as “there are no Vardar, Aegean and Pirin Macedonians but only Macedonians”.
I am confused by the position expressed by Macedonian Prime Minister. I find it unacceptable, an expression of territorial claims, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov told FOCUS News Agency, asked to comment on the statement made by Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski in his speech in Australia, delivered before the Macedonian Diaspora.
The commentary of Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas on the “Aegean Macedonians” issue was clear.
“We will not enter into any kind of a dialog with Gruevski or with the Skopje community in Australia over some non-existing problems”, Droutsas said. “Greece has an open and constructive approach to its relations with Skopje. The leaders in Skopje should realize that it is up to them to choose between the traditional aggressive, nationalist and irredentist rhetoric, or to invest in a constructive, fair and well-grounded dialog for name dispute’s solution”.
The Greek diplomat confirmed Athens’ position that the only solution to the name dispute is a compound name with geographic term.


Such claims are absolutely inappropriate: deputy foreign minister
Sofia. “Such claims are absolutely inappropriate”, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov said for FOCUS News Agency, commenting on Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski’s statement in Australia.
“The news was a very bad surprise to us. This is some highly offensive and inappropriate action, a declaration, which we must reject, as it runs counter to the ambitions of the Republic of Macedonia to guarantee support for possible start of pre-accession negotiations with the European Union. As you know, Macedonia received a signal from the EU that it is possible for the country to start the talks over its accession to the Union but no concrete date has been set for this and it won’t be set until this practice of generating problems with its neighbors is stopped”, Raykov said.


President Georgi Parvanov: Macedonian PM’s position is unacceptable, it is expression of territorial claims
Sofia. I am confused by the position expressed by Macedonian Prime Minister. I find it unacceptable, an expression of territorial claims, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov told FOCUS News Agency, asked to comment on the statement made by Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski in his speech in Australia, delivered before the Macedonian Diaspora.
President Parvanov added the following: “This position is unacceptable, especially regarding the fact that Macedonia wants to become member of the European Union and here I wish to remind what I said about nine or ten months ago, in the beginning of the year, that Macedonia should strictly meet all membership criteria, some of which are connected to the good neighborly relations and to avoid importing some troubled issues in the frames of the EU. Thus, for yet another time I will say that Bulgaria’s assistance for Macedonia’s EU accession is not unconditional. To some great extent it depends on our neighbor’s behavior and whether such claims will be immediately rejected”.In his speech made before the Macedonian Diaspora in Australia, Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski said the following: “… in Australia, Macedonians enjoy a unique chance, which we do not have here in Macedonia, to live together with their compatriots from Aegea and Pirin, and I appeal to you not to get divided on this issue, as there are no Macedonians from Vardar, Aegea, or Pirin, there are only Macedonians”.


Neos Kosmos: Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski makes territorial claims to Greece, Bulgaria in his speech in Sydney
Sydney. Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski made irredentists claims to Greece and Bulgaria in his speech delivered before the Macedonian Diaspora in Sydney, Neos Kosmos reports.
According to Macedonian MIA agency, Mr. Gruevski appealed to the Macedonians in Australia to stay united.
“Macedonians in Australia are enjoying a unique opportunity to live together with their compatriots of Aegean and Pirin Macedonia, which does not happen in our motherland”, Gruevski said, asking them not to get disunited on such grounds as “there are no Vardar, Aegean and Pirin Macedonians but only Macedonians”.
The Macedonian prime minister also appealed to the Diaspora to stay united over the name dispute with Greece. Gruevski remarked that negotiations with Athens are about to be renewed so as to find a solution which, as Gruevski promised, will not harm the “Macedonian national interests, language, nation, culture, integrity, identity pride and dignity and will be valid only if approved by Macedonian citizens after a referendum”.

Greece’s response:
The commentary of Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas on the “Aegean Macedonians” issue was clear.
“We will not enter into any kind of a dialog with Gruevski or with the Skopje community in Australia over some non-existing problems”, Droutsas said. “Greece has an open and constructive approach to its relations with Skopje. The leaders in Skopje should realize that it is up to them to choose between the traditional aggressive, nationalist and irredentist rhetoric, or to invest in a constructive, fair and well-grounded dialog for name dispute’s solution”.
The Greek diplomat confirmed Athens’ position that the only solution to the name dispute is a compound name with geographic term.