Greece blocks Macedonian journalists from entering its territory

20/07/2008

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece's border authorities refused to allow a group of Macedonian journalists to enter the country on Saturday (July 19th), Macedonian media reported. The TV and newspaper reporters wanted to film the gathering of post-World War II refugees from Aegean Macedonia in the northern villages of Florina and Meliti. The border officials told the journalists they lacked proper accreditation to enter Greece. Earlier on Saturday, Greek TV stations that wished to film the celebration of Aegean Macedonian refugees in Skopje were denied entry into Macedonia.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis strongly rejected holding a discussion on the existence of a Macedonian minority in Greece. "There is not and there has never been a Macedonian minority in Greece," he said. His statement came in response to a letter by Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who called on Athens to recognise the Macedonian minority in the country.

In other news, two US senators are delaying the nomination of Philip Reeker as ambassador to Macedonia, due to the ongoing Macedonian-Greek name dispute. Sources identified the lawmakers as Republican Olympia Snowe and Democrat Robert Menendez. The AP quoted a letter, sent by Snowe's office to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, that criticises the Bush administration for recognising Macedonia as the "Republic of Macedonia" in 2004. (Makfax, A1, Dnevnik, Mina, Kathimerini, ANA-MPA, Philelefteros - 19/07/08, AP, A1, USA Today, In.news, Phileleteros - 19/07/08)