Macedonia Criticises Greek Tampering With Car Plates :: Balkan Insight

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-slates-greece-s-prov...

Balkan Insight
NEWS 26 JUN 12

Macedonia Criticises Greek Tampering With Car Plates

Athens is failing to focus on meaningful regional issues, Foreign Minister says, referring to decision of Greek border staff to cover up the letters "MK" on any Macedonian cars entering Greece.
Sinisa Jakov Marusic BIRN Skopje

Foreign Minister Nikola Popovski was the first senior Macedonian official to react, after Greek border guards last week begun covering the letters "MK" on Macedonian car plates with a sticker, in Greek and English, reading: Recognized by Greece as FYROM [Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia]. We expect our neighbours in Greece to be willing to focus on the real priority for our region cooperation and support in the European and Euro-Atlantic integration

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki | Photo by gov.mk

process, Popovski said in Skopje, adding that We have reacted at a diplomatic level. Relations between Macedonia and Greece have been strained for two decades by the row over Macedonia's name. Greece insists that use of the term "Macedonia" implies a territorial claim to its own northern province of the same name. Citing the unresolved issue, Greece has been blocking Macedonias progress towards both EU and NATO membership. UN-brokered talks to overcome the dispute have so far failed to yield a solution. The Greek liaison office in Skopje on Tuesday confirmed the new practice saying the country had a right to do this under the 1995 UN interim agreement that regulates relations between the two states. However, the office says that Greek officials will put stickers on the back wind-shield of the cars and not on the number plates. "Upon entry of private vehicles with an MK sign into the territory of Greece, Greek officials will place, on a free space on the back wind-shield of those vehicles, a self-adhesive sticker stating the Greek reservations regarding this code". They say this will only affect vehicles with the new plates, containing the letters "MK". Macedonia introduced new number plates in February, saying they were needed to meet

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Macedonia Criticises Greek Tampering With Car Plates :: Balkan Insight

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EU standards. Unlike the old ones, the new plates feature MK in small letters in the corner. Under Greek pressure the UN recognised Macedonia under the provisonal term of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM, in 1993 - but most Macedonians strongly resent use of the term. The Greek move could potentially have a major impact on tourism, as Greece is a top summer destinations for many Macedonians - and many drivers may object to having their cars tampered with in this way. Greek liaison office insists that, "citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are welcome in Greece" and that "any attempts at discouraging them from visiting Greece or any misleading statements are counterproductive".

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Macedonia Criticises Greek Tampering With Car Plates :: Balkan Insight

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19 comments

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Dora Spiridis

5 months ago

If you are going to write about it, try not to be biased against Greece. There's a Memorandum for the appliance of practical measures in the Interim Accord which reads: , ( ) , , , . . . Which means :"When entering Greece, passenger cars marked , the authorities of the First Part ( the Greek side) will place in free space at the rear window of such vehicles a sticker, not larger than the display indication used in international transport. The sticker will remain on the vehicles whilst in the territory of the First Part. Vehicles without a sticker will not be able to move within the territory of the First Part. " I don't know why Poposki is complaining. This is the Interim Accord. He should read it before he or anybody else from the FYROM side starts complaining. This includes Balkan Insight as well.
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Funny

5 months ago

We expect our neighbours in Greece to be willing to focus on the real priority for our region cooperation and support in the European and Euro-Atlantic integration process, Popovski said in Skopje, adding "Now we will build statues of Leonidas of Macedonija, and Plato of Macedonija to commemorate our national heroes"...
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kurti

5 months ago

The Greeks don't care what this clown Popovski is muttering about.The truth is the EU recognises the country as Fyrom and therefore the Greeks are using this name to their advantage.If there wasn't an issue with the name the EU would've have allowed the membership entry negotiations to take place.They haven't done so and the reason is they are taking the Greek side.
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andrew

5 months ago

Fyromian provocations have been taking place in the last twenty years and will continue until the get what they want.Greece should deal with thw matter once and for all by taking all appropriate measures including forcing Greek business to withdraw from Skopje and then closing the border all together .This is the only language former communist Gruevski understands.
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Alexandermacedon

5 months ago

Ynder the 19955 Accord, Fyrom should have produced it's car plates with FYROM instead of MK. That would hve been adhering to the dictates of the accord, but by having MK instead, this would be a further breach of the accord.
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lembesk

5 months ago

then the EU should stop Greeks sucking European money and dispose of them by chucking them out of the union...they can then join other third world countries, and even so they'll be at the bottom end. A broke country living on others' handouts shouldn't play the big boy's game. How can Greece hold another country at ransom and the rest keeping quiet is a mystery

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