SPONSORED BY:

What’s In a Name?

 

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

Separate multiple addresses with commas

SPONSORED BY
 

I was at a discussion last night about Kosovo, and one of the Balkan experts on the panel said he was still worried about the stability of Macedonia. How do you ease people's minds about ethnic issues in your country?
Macedonia has succeeded over the last 16 years to build a state architecture of equal opportunities. Every single citizen can be engaged in politics, in culture, the economy, in education, in media, and there are schools for everyone in their mother tongue, news for everyone in their mother tongue, politics for everyone in their mother tongue—sometimes too much. [Laughs] I think we have a common ground, a minimum common denominator that creates a feeling among the 2 million that they do belong; they have their rights in this society—regardless of being Macedonian, Albanian, Roma, whatever. We deserve the label of success story of the Balkans and could serve as an example. Our future depends on this cohesion inside Macedonia, and we are satisfied with the level of interethnic cohesion.

© 2008

Label

Newsweek Top Stories
Visions of a Decade
Visions of a Decade

From 2000-2009, one photo per month.

The Failure of Copenhagen
The Failure of Copenhagen

Why there could be a silver lining in a failed climate treaty.

Sex Scandals of the 2000s
Sex Scandals of the 2000s

From John Edwards to Mark Sanford, the decade's memorable affairs.

118 Days in Hell
118 Days in Hell

A NEWSWEEK journalist recounts his captivity in Iran.

Discuss

Sponsored by

Member Comments

  • Posted By: Ellinas @ 05/29/2008 9:42:08 AM

    Hey duce,
    Go learn some history and not the communist-turned-nationalist history that they feed you in Skopje. The San Stefano agreement was signed in 1878 by Turkey and Russia and it gave all of the REGION of Macedonia to Bulgaria. This was not allowed by the Europe because it gave Russia and the Slavs too much power. In this region lived Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbians, Turks, Albanians, Jews, and Gypsies. All the above groups were considered Macedonians because they lived in the REGION of Macedonia. Notice there were no "Macedonians" because the Slavs there were either Bulgarian or Serb.. It is after the Balkan Wars when Bulgaria was defeated by Serbia and Greece that the Treaty of Bucharest was signed in 1913. Bulgaria lost almost all the lands it coveted and the REGION of Macedonia. The Greek part went to Greece and the rest was divided among Serbia, and Bulgaria. Afterwards there was an exchange of populations which harmonized the region. Bulgaria tried again to take over the Greek region (and the Yugoslav) during WW1 and WW2. The Treaty of Bucharest 1913 HAS NO EXPIRATION DATE. It is a PEACE TREATY and those don't expire. It is because of misguided beliefs that your government has fed you that FYROM was rejected by NATO. Continue these ridiculous ideas and you will never join NATO or the EU. Serious revision of history is happening with your claims. LEARN HISTORY!

  • Posted By: duci @ 05/28/2008 12:49:15 PM

    Greece is afraid to let Macedonia become a member of NATO because that way they are supposed to give Macedonia's territory that is in Greece to Macedonia.According to the San Stefanian deal that is made in 1913 after 100 years(2013) Greece should give Macedonia's territory back.So, in NATO or not in NATO we 're getting our territory back.LONG LIVE MACEDONIA!!!

  • Posted By: 2000BC @ 05/06/2008 12:47:55 AM

    maybe you need to learn history to find are they reall the same or maybe they are diffrent?

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse

My Take

Customize the NEWSWEEK homepage
to feature your favorite columnists.

Customize Now