Crvenkovski says Macedonia supports fair compromise with Greece

26/09/2008

NEW YORK, United States -- Macedonia will accept only a fair compromise in its name dispute with Greece, President Branko Crvenkovski said in his address to the 63rd UN General Assembly on Thursday (September 25th). "We will accept only a solution that does not bring into question our national and cultural identity," he stressed, adding any pressure on Macedonia to accept an unfair compromise would lead to domestic destabilisation. "We cannot afford to be humiliated and destabilised by making a bad compromise," Crvenkovski noted. He emphasised the "absurdity" of the name issue and blamed Greece for blocking his country's accession to the EU and NATO.

Also Thursday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hopes Athens and Skopje find a mutually acceptable solution that would allow Macedonia to join NATO. "We want to see the issue resolved as soon as possible. We are trying to help find a solution," Rice said after meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis. (Makfax, A1, MIA, AP, VOA, ANA-MPA, Kathimerini, ERT - 25/09/08)