Rainbow-Vinozhito Letter to Matthew Nimetz

A long letter to Matthew Nimetz about his proposal which include a proposed declaration that all people in Greek Macedonia are in fact Greek. This is similar to the declaration by Austrailia in the early 90's that all people from the Republic of Macedonia would be called "Macedonian Slavs" which pissed off the Albanians and Turks of Macedonia.Nimetz has resign and admitt the the policy of appeasement with regard to Greece's policy of cultural genocide is not going to work.


2005 Letter to Matthew Nimetz:

..."Specifically, in a section of your interpretive statement you mention inter alia: 'As yet another example, the Republika Makedonija-Skopje must recognize that there is an administrative province in Greece with the name 'Greek Macedonia' (and not Macedonia of the Aegean or Aegean Macedonia under Greece) and that those who live in Greek Macedonia commonly define themselves as Greek Macedonians in the Greek regional and cultural sense of the name, and that such names have to be used and respected.'**

With all due respect, Mr. Nimetz, we are obliged to inform you that this province of Northern Greece, or Greek Macedonia, is also inhabited by Greek citizens who define themselves as ethnic Macedonians. They are the members of the indigenous ethnic Macedonian minority, who in no way adopt the Greek regional and cultural sense of the name you refer to.

Could you kindly inform us: on the basis of what data did you assume that Northern Greece is inhabited solely by Greeks, so that when the neighboring Republic of Macedonia refers to the inhabitants of this region it should use the exclusive term 'Greek Macedonians' for everyone, including us? "

US State Nimitz April 13

For the third and last time ... Nimetz.

Poor Greeks ... Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva upset their tummy! Greeks, bend over, Ilinka is wearing a stap-on!

Daily Press Briefing for April 13 -- Transcript

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything to say right now. I'll have to get you something on it.

QUESTION: But may I go to Skopje for a moment and express my pain. Mr. Boucher, the Foreign Minster of FYROM Ilinka Mitreva made yesterday a mockery of international law. She rejected the U.S. proposal by Matthew Nimetz as "unacceptable," insisting that the name is the constitutional name, "Republic of Macedonia," recognized, as she said, by a bunch of countries, Member of the UN, including the United States.

How do you respond to her provocative statements since, actually, it's a slap to the U.S. and the UN involvement, saying above all it's "a joke," however, we are still available for negotiations?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think there's a couple of things to say. First, when you mentioned Mr. Nimitz, I think meant to refer to him as the UN Envoy -- United Nations. He's working on their behalf there. We have supported this effort by the UN. We have encouraged all the parties to work with him and seen the putting forward of the proposal as constructive. But beyond that, I don't think I have anything new.

QUESTION: From that point, anything to do because essentially that is a deadlock?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, we'll have to see how it turns out. We've encouraged the parties to work with Mr. Nimitz. We've encouraged people to work constructively with him and we've seen his role as a constructive one. And we've said we'll look forward to recognizing the result of discussions that can reach agreement on this issue.

QUESTION: One more. Mr. Boucher, how do you explain the fact that your government recognized a name created by the Communist former Yugoslavia under Josip Tito in the 1940s above the name your real name (inaudible) that time, "Republic of Vardaska," V-a-r-d-a-s-k-a, (inaudible) for a solution.

MR. BOUCHER: I explained our policy of recognition at the time that I announced it. I don't have anything more to say today. I don't know what we said at the time that Tito might have changed the name, but I do know what we said at the time when we decided the name under which we would recognize Macedonia.

US State More on Nimitz April 12

Greeks are wetting their pants on this Nimetz thing. If Macedonia accepted the proposal, Greece would denounce it immediately. Thats the way we do things in the Balkans!

Daily Press Briefing for April 12 -- Transcript:

"QUESTION: One question on the Macedonia name issue, if you can. Now both sides they know the Nimetz proposal, the Special Envoy of the UN. Does the U.S. takes any position on the actual proposal or your position is just that you want to see a common accepted solution from the two parties?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we've said we saw that -- we felt that putting forward the proposal and working with the parties in this matter is a constructive step and we've encouraged both parties to deal with it seriously. And we're still in touch with both parties, as well as the UN, trying to encourage people to take it seriously and work this out.

QUESTION: But not actual position on the substance with the proposal?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we've said that the putting forward of the proposal is a constructive step. I'd have to see if there's anything more to say than that.

QUESTION: Thank you.

"

US State on Nimitz proposal - April 8

Boucher has to respond to the proposal of UN negotiator Nimetz about "Republica Makedonia - Skopje ... how embarassing is that?

Daily Press Briefing for April 8 -- Transcript:

"QUESTION: Mr. Boucher, on FYROM, the UN negotiator, Matthew Nimetz, made publicly his proposal for the new name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM. The Greek Government today responded constructively to this (inaudible) and to this new development. What is the reaction of the U.S. Government?

MR. BOUCHER: As I mentioned yesterday, we certainly welcome the discussions and the UN process to find a mutually acceptable resolution to the Macedonian name issue. As you said, we understand it is part of this UN process and new ideas have been presented to the parties and that there is a discussion going on. We welcome this new momentum in the process. We urge both sides to engage constructively in a spirit of compromise.

US State Department January 25

US is standing firm on Macedonia ... so far.

Daily Press Briefing for January 25 -- Transcript:

"MR. BOUCHER: As far as the name issue, I think we've made very clear that we were going to use the name Macedonia, Republic of Macedonia, for the Republic of Macedonia, but that we also continue to support very strongly the effort that was being made with the United Nations to come up with an internationally acceptable name. We look forward to using whatever the outcome of those discussions would be, using the name that came out of those discussions. So we certainly welcome the continuation of those discussions and the efforts that the parties are making and the UN is making to come up with an internationally acceptable name.

QUESTION: So you are going to accept any outcome to change the legal policy from the so-called Republic of Macedonia to the new name?

MR. BOUCHER: We'll adopt whatever name comes out of those international discussions. We've made that clear before.

QUESTION: And also, last week, the Greek Ambassador, Alex Mallias, M-a-double-l-i-a-s, Director of the Balkan Affairs for the Greek Foreign Ministry, had talks here at the State Department. May we have a readout on those talks?

MR. BOUCHER: I'd have to check for you on that.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. BOUCHER: Okay? Thank you. "

US Greek Lobby a laughing stock!

The Greek lobby in the United States has mounted a program to introduce resolutions in State legislatures to the effect that "Macedonia is Greek". My first thoughts were that once again, Macedonians would be outflancked and out lobbied. My concerns were unfounded. The Greek politicians pushing this issue have been ridiculed by the press and dismissed by other politicians. It has also brought the plight of Macedonians in Greece to the attention of local journalist who otherwise would not be interested in "ancient tribal hatreds" of the Balkans.

La Crosse Tribune - 6.0

Published - Thursday, May 12, 2005

Thank goodness we've got Macedonia covered

.
Tribune editorial board

Wisconsin's leaders face some complex, crucial challenges.

# How do we adequately fund K-12 and higher education?

# How do we relieve the tax burden on local property owners and continue to maintain vital services?

# How do we raise the minimum wage statewide, rather than city by city?

# How do we continue to properly provide public notice of governmental meetings and affairs to ensure a strong democracy?

# And how do we properly pay tribute to the Macedonians?

You didn't realize the ancient Greeks were the subject of modern legislation? You obviously haven't read 2005 Assembly Joint Resolution 37. It's a fine example of what happens in Madison while our elected officials attempt to unconstipate themselves.

The resolution was introduced May 3 by Reps. Daniel Vrakas, R-Delafield, Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, and Josh Zepnick, D-Milwaukee, and co-sponsored by Sen. Theodore Kanavas, ...

... Instead of worrying about the 12 Gods of Olympus, maybe these legislators need a more meaningful pursuit, such as revising the seal of the city of La Crosse. If we could just add some angry pigeons circling City Hall, it could be a work of art.

Good article about Macedonian Church resistance against Serbian Church

Very good news and a good article about the resistance of the Macedonian Orthodox Church against the deisre of the Seriban Orthodox Church to re-establish its colonial rule over Macedonians.

Institute for War and Peace Reporting

New Bishops Strengthen Macedonian Church's Hand

Influx of new blood into synod likely to stiffen its resolve in long-running dispute with Serbian church.

By Tamara Causidis in Skopje (BCR No 555, 11-May-05)

Macedonia's Orthodox Church hierarchy, long embroiled in a battle for recognition by its Serbian counterpart, has boosted its ranks by admitting three new bishops, in what church-watchers say is a move to strengthen its hand in the dispute.

The church's governing body, the synod, voted to accept three new members all at once in April. The move was without precedent, as the synod in the past has only admitted new members one by one.

The three newcomers, bishops Metodij, Kliment and Pimen, were declared auxiliary bishops, which means they will not be able to vote in the Synod until later this year, when they expect promotion to the rank of diocesan bishops.

The new synod members are seen as an attempt to consolidate the position of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, MPC, in its decades-long struggle with the Serbian Orthodox Church, SPC.

We're # 4

Macedonia's Megalithic Kokino Observatory Places 4th on NASA List (SETimes.com)

By Marija Lazarova for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 11/05/05

Macedonia's Megalithic Kokino Observatory is more than 3,800 years old. NASA has ranked it the fourth oldest in the world. [File]

Macedonia's Megalithic-era Kokino Observatory is located 1,030m above sea level on the Tativec Kamen Summit near Kumanovo. Archaeological and astronomical analyses have shown that the observatory is more than 3,800 years old. According to NASA, which earlier this year released a list ranking observatories by age, it is the fourth oldest in the world, after Abu Simbel in Egypt, Stonehenge in Britain and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

"Kokino has incredible astronomical preciseness and has a central observation post and accessory observation posts," says physicist Gjore Cenev, the head of Macedonia's Youth Cultural Centre Planetarium, who has been performing a detailed analysis of the site. "The observatory defines the four main positions of the Moon and three main positions of the Sun during a year, the autumnal and vernal equinox and winter and summer solstice." One specially positioned marker shows that the observatory was also used to follow the movement of the star cluster Pleiades.

Transitions Online (RFE) ignores Macedonians in Greece

Transitions Online: A Capital Name

This is an article published by Radio Free Europe's "Transitions Online" and was written by Biljana Stavrova and Robert Alagjozovski who are are TOL correspondents in Skopje.

The article does a good job in summarizing some of the history of the name dispute, but as usual fails to mention the role that the Macedonians in Greece play in this ongoing soap opera. I do not know who Biljana and Rogert are. I assume that they are good Macedonians and have only omitted this information because their editor at Transitions Online would refuse to publish their article unless any mention of Greece's human rights record is deleted. Fair enough, they both have to put food on the table.

It just goes to show how a pseudo-human rights group such as the RFE can control the message in an anti-Macedonian fashion, while using Macedonian journalists.

Any former communist country who adopted the "Greek Position" on minority rights would be refused entry into the EU and Nato, while Greece gets a pass!

Pseudo-Human Rights : Freedom House on Macedonia

If anyone knows of a student looking to do a report on political science you can mention an analysis of Freedom House's position on the Balkans.

I don't really have time to read this report. It is not good for the lovers of truth, putting Macedonia in the lower rankings of the "Freedom Index".

Nor do I have the time or inclination to read its report on Greece. In previous years, it has not mentioned the Macedonian minority in Greece at all. We must remember that even the State Department and the CIA (yah! That CIA) both discuss the status of the Macedonian in Greece.

I am interested in the bureaucratic hoops that the staff at Freedom House must have jumped through to avoid mentioning us. Please send any anonymous information to me or post it to Alt.News.Macedonia

Southeast Europe Online