Macedonia Honors 9/11 Victims

Memorial Walk honors the 9/11 victims - Skopje | Demotix.com:

Chargé d’Affaires Brian Aggeler of U.S. Embassy in Skopje opened the Memorial Walk in Skopje to honor the 9/11 victims, Skopje, Macedonia. 11th September 2011"

Parade in Skopje

Celebrate Macedonian Independence

Happy 20 Years of Macedonian Independence

Macedonia to Celebrate 20 Years of Independence

« VOA Breaking News:

Posted Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at 3:15 am

Macedonia is set to celebrate its independence day – and rile neighboring Greece – by officially unveiling a controversial statue in its capital city of Skopje.

Thursday, Macedonia marks 20 years of independence from the former Yugoslavia. As part of the celebrations, the government is showing off its capital city renovation project, known as “Skopje 2014.”

At the heart of the celebration is a 24-meter high statue, located in Skopje's central square, which depicts Alexander the Great on horseback.

Officials in Greece say the statue of Alexander, who ruled the ancient Greek state of Macedon and conquered the Persian empire, is a provocation and an attempt by their neighbor to steal a historical Greek figure.

Macedonia officials deny the allegation, saying they have given the statue a generic name: “Warrior on a Horse.”

Greece claims the former Yugoslav republic's use of the name Macedonia implies territorial ambitions in Greece. Macedonia is the name of a region Greece's northeast. (Edenden - Greece is trying to wipe of the map their ethnic Macedonian minority ... supported by the US/EU/Nato ... nice!)

Greece has blocked Macedonia from joining NATO and the European Union because of the row.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday congratulated Macedonia on its independence day anniversary, saying the U.S. is a “partner and friend.”

No Equal Time for Macedonians in Globe and Mail

By David Edenden
This is how the world works. I once tried to have an op-ed published in the Globe and Mail in the early 1990's about the Greek embargo against Macedonia. After a few annoying phone calls, a very nice editorial assistant admitted that it would not be published because "the Greeks", whenever a sympathetic story appeared about Macedonia, had a phone bank which constantly phoned the Globe tying up its phone lines.

So don't expect any rebuttal op-ed piece to appear to this incoherent mess of an article. Vasil Yankov had his letter published in a letter to the editor. Here's a response from the United Macedonians.

What's in a name? Blood, if it's Macedonia
ANDRÉ GEROLYMATOS
Chair of Hellenic studies at Simon Fraser University
globeandmail.com: "


Last month, Liberal MP Lui Temelkovski introduced a private member's bill that called for Canada to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the Republic of Macedonia. This seemingly innocuous bill raised nary an eyebrow in Ottawa. Yet, the name change is a potential source of regional conflict. For 16 years, Canadian governments have stayed clear of Macedonian politics and avoided contributing to such a crisis."

Theodora, We hardly Knew Ye

By David Edenden

Theodora (Dora) Grosomanidou
Former Greek Ambassador to The Former ...

Years from now, this episode where Theodora (Dora) Grosomanidou, Greek Ambassador to Macedonia, spoke truth to power and said that Greece should stop the nonsense regarding the "Macedonian name" issue, will be seen, by journalists and historians, as a missed opportunity to promote peace in the Balkans. Great blame will be heaped equally on both parties, but the Greek Issues Caucus, which eggs on the most extreme elements of Greek nationalism will escape all scrutiny. There's the rub!

Greek Ambassador in Macedonia Recalled
Makfax vesnik

Skopje/Athens /10/07/ 13:55

Greece has abruptly recalled its Ambassador to Macedonia, Mrs. Theodora Grosomanidou, upon an executive order signed by Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.

Last week, the Greek Foreign Ministry summoned Her Excellency Grosomanidou in Athens to clarify her statement for The Financial Times, regarding name dispute between Macedonia and Greece. She was quoted as saying that Greece has to face the new reality, as its neighbor has been recognized under its constitutional name - Macedonia - by more than half of the members of the UN.

According to Ta Nea online newspaper, Bakoyannis was angry at Grosomanidou for giving the interview without asking the Greek government for permission. The same source says the news article was paid by Macedonian government amid its advertising and propaganda campaign.

Mrs Grosomanidou, according to Ta Nea, will be replaced by Greek Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Alexandra Papadopoulou"