Macedonia warms to Greek name solution initiative

The Macedonian Prime Minister asked for direct meetings with modern Greece years ago and they've now responded. So its Macedonian initiative NOT modern Greece's.

Oddly no mention of modern Greece's denial of basic Human Rights to its indigenous minorities such as Macedonians mentioned in this article. I'd expect a more through piece about the name issue with some context as to why modern Greece's nationalism has caused problems with all of its neighbors

20 years to find a name/identity for the former Yugoslav republic is plenty of time. Instead of trying to find a name, IMRO fanaticism has exploited bad feeling towards Greece over its botched government fiances to become far worse (which is only provoking a similar response in other neighbouring states and threatening to destabilize the Balkans).

Given the former Yugoslavians sudden identity quick change into "descendents ancient Macedonians" (i.e. self-identifying hellenes) right before their apologists eyes (and FYROM's own prior governments claimed the exact opposite to them)... any that continue to collude with the former Yugoslavians are effectively morally complicit in IMRO's subtle attempt to ethnically erase the Greek people (to hide their shame)

Their are no excuses left but racism towards Greeks (and even Bulgarians who also are having their history usurped) for any of FYROM's apologists to continue to pretend not to notice their erratic behavior.

"Slav people and our language is closely related to Bulgarian." - FYROM´s Ambassador to Canada Gyordan Veselinov, Ottawa Citizen Newspaper, February 24 1999

'We do not claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great.' - FYROM'S Ambassador Ljubica Acevshka, speech to US representatives in Washington on January 22 1999

"It is our firm desire to overcome the difference over the name."
Really?: Severmakedonija ( = North Macedonia) or Anymacedonia.

But, no, it is not. Your desire is to monopolize the name of Macedonia.
Yet Greeks (Germans, Turks, Albanians )cannot allow any non Greek (German, Turkish, Albanian) people to monopolize the name of Macedonia (Bavaria, Ottoman, Tosk ).

@ Meto Koloski:

From Eugene N. Borza, American historian who has written multiple works on Macedonia and is regarded an expert on the overall subject:

Modern Slavs, both Bulgarians and Macedonians, cannot establish a link with antiquity, as the Slavs entered the Balkans centuries after the demise of the ancient Macedonian kingdom. Only the most radical Slavic factions—mostly émigrés in the United States, Canada, and Australia—even attempt to establish a connection to antiquity [...]
The twentieth-century development of a Macedonian ethnicity, and its recent evolution into independent statehood following the collapse of the Yugoslav state in 1991, has followed a rocky road. In order to survive the vicissitudes of Balkan history and politics, the Macedonians, who have had no history, need one. They reside in a territory once part of a famous ancient kingdom, which has borne the Macedonian name as a region ever since and was called ”Macedonia” for nearly half a century as part of Yugoslavia. And they speak a language now recognized by most linguists outside Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece as a south Slavic language separate from Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, and Bulgarian.
Their own so-called Macedonian ethnicity had evolved for more than a century, and thus it seemed natural and appropriate for them to call the new nation “Macedonia” and to attempt to provide some cultural references to bolster ethnic survival.

("Macedonia Redux", in "The Eye Expanded: life and the arts in Greco-Roman Antiquity", ed. Frances B Tichener & Richard F. Moorton, University of California Press, 1999)

I can't wait for modern Greece to receive another bailout, maybe their trolls can go back to work and hire some Bulgars and leave us Macedonians alone.

Since you're copy & pasting the same tired quotes how about a quote from Arrian, Plutarch, or Demosthenes????? Oh you don't like their quotes supporting a separate and unique Macedonian identity??? Maybe a Yogi Berra quote instead like "It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much"

Seeing that @istor, @alexander, and @demetri don't have much to do other than troll Macedonians on the web maybe they can explain how the concept of nationality and nation building started with their little capitals that were full of Ottoman Mosques.

@ Kiril:

T.J. Winnifrith, British academic:

"FYROM was also an attempt at a multicultural society. Here the fragments are just about holding together, although the cement that binds them is an unreliable mixture of propaganda and myth. The "Macedonian" language has been created, some rather misty history involving Tsar Samuel, probably a Bulgarian, and Alexander the Great, almost certainly a Greek, has been invented, and the name Macedonia has been adopted. Do we destroy these myths or live with them? Apparently these radical Slavic factions decided to live with their myths and lies for the constant amusement of the rest of the world!"

("Shattered Eagles, Balkan Fragments", Duckworth, 1995)

I don't see what the issue is... why can't both Greece and the Republic of Macedonia use the name Macedonia??
what’s the difference between Macedonia and Luxembourg? both nations have countries that border them that have provinces with the same name.... YES!! there is a Province called Luxembourg in Belgium, but i don't recall reading anywhere about Belgium blocking Luxembourg's EU membership and asking them to change there name and identity... and just a foot note the official name of Luxembourg is Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, but i have never seen anyone refer to Luxembourg as (G.D.O.L) so why do Greeks who have officially recognized there neighbour as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia use (F.Y.R.O.M)?

there is also a state called Georgia in the United States and there is a former soviet republic called Georgia, I don't see the Americans carrying on about that :)
it seems Greeks are just being overly sensitive about the name issue.

there are also two provinces in Iran called East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan which border the Republic of Azerbaijan. I can't find any reference to Iran blocking there use of the word Azerbaijan.
it would seem that the concept of having an independent state using the same name as a province in a neighboring country is not unique to Macedonia and Greece.
it seems Greece is just blowing this issue out of proportion.

oh there is also a Republic of Karelia in the Russian Federation as well as regions in Finland called North and South Karelia which border the Russian Republic, and then there is the Province of Niger in the Federal Republic of Nigeria which has the same name as the Republic of Niger in Africa, no name disputes there ether, and lets not forget the Republic of Ireland which borders the British administered Northern Ireland. So based on these precedence, Macedonia should continue using the term Republic of Macedonia and Greece can continue using West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East Macedonia and Trace as it has done since 1988, and if Bulgaria wants to weigh in they can rename there province of Blagoevgrad to North Macedonia.

United States again returns to Iraq. Arayik Sargsyan, Academician, President of the Geoplitical Academy.
Performing a "request" Erdogan, kurds began a policy of pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on all sides. In case even the President's daughter has joined Iraq, Kurd Jalal Talabani's, Ms Ala al-Talabani. During a NATO seminar in Yerevan, NATO's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Mr. James Appathurai officially stated that: "NATO does not intervene in the Affairs of Syria, and will not interfere in the Syrian case, as it has with Libya." Our experts from Iraq have reported new plans to increase its United States FORCES in Iraq, and to the thousands of special forces intend to 4.3 thousands another 12 thousand United States Army soldiers.
United States again returns to Iraq, although it from there by and large and not leave.

http://www.yerkramas.org/2012/11/09/ssha-opyat-vozvrashhaetsya-v-irak/

Consul of Macedonia: good partner in Balkans beneficial to Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The newly-appointed Honorary Consul of Macedonia to Armenia pledged to do the utmost to contribute to development and strengthening of bilateral relations.

As Arayik Sargsyan told a press conference, Armenia will benefit from a good partner in the Balkans and Macedonia, in turn, from a partner in the South Caucasus. The consul noted that the Macedonian side has officially requested the Armenian authorities to appoint him as Honorary Consul to Armenia.

“With establishment of ties between Armenia and Macedonia dating back to the times of Alexander the Great, the historical experience should be used in developing current relations,” the official concluded.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/103141/

@Alexander go on there's other quotes your omitting. Why don't you quote the Human Rights Watch or the UN's Ms McDougall since you've got nothing but time to copy and paste other people instead of forming a thought and expressing yourself.

So why do you troll us?

Is it because modern Grecians and Bulgars are the poorest EU members and there's not enough bailout money to give you a sense of worth?

Maybe its shame because you covet your neighbors property and you feel like idiots for the Sultan Mustapha's divide and conquer strategy? Grecians & Bulgars still fight over Macedonian to this day.....even after 245 years the Sultan's strategy is still playing itself out.

Its sad to see 2 poor and insignificant countries like Bulgaria and modern Greece act imbeciles. I think there's better use of EU funds.

@trajko:
http://www.topix.com/forum/world/macedonia/TOM51PLFA8KUGF6V9

@trajko and Angela Discouri:

My opinion will just be my opinion, and, as like any average reader's opinion, perhaps not significant on the issue... even you can express your opinion, although as everyone here can see, you choose to do what you know best, and that is to swear.

What I choose to do here is to provide not my humble opinion on the issue but instead the opinion of international scholarship. Now why don't you try to learn something by them? It will only do you good...

It is not just a province. It is a crucial part of out identity and history.

The point is that Slavofyromians MUST forget and cut any imaginary link they have with this region in Greece.

This means that Slavofyromians and the entire World must translate the word "Macedonia" of all ancient and medieval books by this very new name.

Then it will be "Alexander the Greek" and not "Alexander the Macedonian" any more.

But Slavofyromians wont separate themselves from Macedonian name, glory and past.

have a look here:
http://www.topix.com/forum/world/macedonia/TOM51PLFA8KUGF6V9

Since the word Greece and Grease are too close it confuses alot of people so let's decide Grease's new name. Here are the choices:

1) Republic of we've been invaded and raped by the Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Goths, Huns, Slavs, Avars, various Crusaders, Bulgars, Venetians, Ottomans, and Lord Byron.

2) Republic of German Prince Otto took the East Indian Company and used Bavarian blue to make it "Greek"

3) Republic of we've fought Balkan wars with Bulgars to control and forcibly assimilate Macedonia

4) Republic of our Census takers report 99.99% modern Greeks live in Republic of Name to be Determined Soon (NDS). That's better purity than the drugs we're on to make believe Albanians, Macedonians, Bulgars, Turks, Vlachs and other minorities don't exist in NDS

5) Republic of Anatolian Christian refugees who couldn't learn ancient Katharevousa so we taught them Dimotikí and resettled them in southern Macedonian and called the whole thing "Greek"

6) Republic of we used to call it Northern Greece from 1913 until the late 1980s and changed it to prefectures of Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace because we knew the Socialist Republic of Macedonia established in 1945 would break free from Yugoslavia

7) Republic of we can't afford to learn Anthropology so we still believe in nationalistic Megali idea.

8) Republic of we troll every news article about Macedonia and copy/paste our interpretation of history to make our selfs feel better about being a mongrol mix of Albanian, Bulgarians, Macedonian, Roma, Turkish, and Vlach people

9) Republic of please take pity on us as we file for EU patents on Feta Cheese and Yogurt because we don't know who we are

Whatever name we decide for you has to be used in all references, so choose wisely!!

Now to the average reader, there's more to modern Greece than you know. Don't trust modern Greeks bearing presents or telling history stories. Do your own research and I'm sure you'll find some dirty secrets of this undercover 3rd world county.

Sorry #2 should read:

Republic of German Prince Otto took the *FLAG of the East Indian Company and used Bavarian blue to make it "Greek"

I could add a few more about massive ethnic cleansing Athens has conducted, passing off the Phoenician alphabet as their own, coercing landlocked Macedonia into the Interim agreement by an illegal embargo the EC fought Athens about, but I think we've got a good list above.

Edward O'Hara, British politician:

Attention may have been deflected from the danger in that area by the nature of the dispute between FYROM and Greece, which is seen as being ostensibly over a name, although it amounts to more than that. A name is important as it gives an area an identity. I shall not indulge in a lecture on the ancient identity of the Macedonians and on Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, but the Greeks were historically correct in the campaign that they launched in the early days of the dispute. Understandably, detached outsiders say, "But that is ancient history, isn't it?" Nor shall I engage in a lecture on the falsification of the history of Slavo-Macedonia since 1944, although that, too, has much hard factual content. I simply remind the House that Tito's renaming of Vardar Banovina as the Republic of Macedonia in 1944 was a political statement. More than that, it was a territorial claim. It laid claim to territory in Greece and in Bulgaria. Notably, the objective was the warm water port of Salonika on the Aegean. The Greeks fought a bloody civil war on that issue between 1945 and 1949, when we were celebrating the peace that was commemorated as recently as yesterday. Clause 49 of the constitution of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia enshrines that claim and subsequent propaganda, especially by a political faction, the VMRO, has kept the claim alive ever since.

(House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 May 1995, Column 601)

President Kiro Gligorov may argue that he cannot control the publications of political parties, but I believe that the adoption of the sunburst emblem of Vergina, recently discovered in Greek Macedonia on the coffin of Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, is a wilful act of authorisation of that claim. If hon. Members wish to empathise with the strength of feeling about that emblem, it is as though the thistle were stolen from the Scots and adopted by another country. It is an emblem, but it stirs up passions. President Gligorov has mounted an impressive propaganda campaign about that, which has deflected attention from some of the more substantial issues in that earlier dispute and, in great measure, has succeeded in casting the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the guise of the little victim of the big bully, Greece...

Greece has no territorial dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It is almost unique in the Balkans in having no such territorial claims on any of its neighbours. Greece has demonstrated its desire to have policies of support and co-operation with its neighbours in that part of the world by its breakthrough in its relationship with Albania, on which both Governments deserve congratulations because thereby another potential flashpoint to the south of the Balkans was damped down. Greece is physically located in the Balkans. It wants nothing more than to achieve a similar relationship with the former Yugoslav republic, but it needs support to do so.

It is no wonder that, in matters of politics in the Balkans, Greece feels misunderstood. It cannot understand why, after it stood alone with the United Kingdom against the forces of fascism between 28 October 1940--Ohi day, as it is still called--and 27 April 1941, when Athens finally fell, its former allies now appear to be taking the part of forces against which it stood, especially when, after the second world war, it endured those further four years of civil war to hold the line against the communist advance to the Aegean. That was done for the United States and for the United Kingdom especially--the world powers of the time--and those Governments objected, in 1944, to Tito's change of the name of Vardar Banovina.

(House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 May 1995, Column 602)

@Good Man

The "pure Macedonians and Greeks" is a fraud, since pure Macedonians are Greeks and FYROMians are Slavs. Except if you are so ignorant that you don't even know the difference.

Anyway, as for your example with the kids, if it only was that simple!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_nationalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Macedonia

And for good laughs have a look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_Prayer_%28video%29

especially at the English translation on the bottom of the article...

@Good Man.
Yes we Greeks are ready to forget Macedonian history, but we cannot allow SlavoSkopians to monopolize it.

Thanks to SlavoSkopians we Greeks do remember our famous and glorious Macedonian history and identity.

I wish to understand how a inept article about macedonia caused such vitrial.my pet rat refused to poop on this story.......i wish i did.

Consul of Macedonia lists possible cooperation areas with Armenia

April 14, 2012 - 17:36 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Presence of Macedonian businesses in Armenia may contribute to deepening of cooperation between Armenia and Macedonia, Consul of Macedonia to Armenia said.
Arayik Sargsyan stressed the need to consider the possibility of realization of Armenian products in the Macedonian market, with special importance to be attached to development of cultural ties.
The Armenian community in the country totals about 1000 people, with a Sunday school operating. The Consul noted that following his meeting with the Macedonian archimandrite, Armenians were allowed to hold a service in Orthodox Church in Macedonia's capital city of Skopje. Mr. Sargsyan also stressed the importance of organizing cultural events in both countries.
`Consultations on the Association Agreement may become another cooperation area. Armenia may benefit from Macedonia's experience in conducting negotiations with the EU in the direction,' the official said.

Every time I see an article concerning this ridiculous name dispute that had grown in a major issue, justifying the greeks of vetoing a innocent nation membership in EU/NATO makes me sick.
First of all makes me sick of my government and all others major governments in EU that are allowing such a fascism to be introduced by EU Member state in the 21st century.
I am also tired of EU tolerance to such an deceiving greek nation that has abused every EU citizens funds on such a financial scale.
Its about time someone with iron fist to show the barbaric balkan tribes that if they want to identify themselves as first world countries they will HAVE TO admire themselves, their neighbors and others, but above all they will HAVE TO recognize the minorities living on their territory. We all know that there is huge turkish minority in germany, germany also knows that and admires the facts. Those people there cannot be told to be germans cause they feel otherwise, they identify themselves otherwise, they are born otherwise. We all know that there is turkish minority in greece. There is also macedonian minority in greece, bulgaria and albania also no exception here. It appears that only greece is not aware for the minorities living there. It looks like only greece (bulgaria to certain extent also) is not admiring the facts and is denying basic human right, and my oh my all of that in the 21st century in Europe. That is unthinkable, that is unacceptable, that is barbaric and that must CHANGE! Those political strategies are long left for the 3rd world countries to cope with and fight with. If thats the path greece chooses, than it should be left behind EU, and eventually incorporated to some future african union. We all pray for greek soberness, if not we all should agree with greek punishment.

Poor yawning Alexander,

His got his Hellenic head so far up the bums of writers like Bruce Thornton and Simon Goldhill that he can’t see the light of day. The realities are that any opposing view to your idyllic, homogeneous, ethnically pure Greece of the 21st century is bludgeoned to death and hidden from the worlds prying eyes. One small example as reported by Fred Barbash below, it seems that even in England one of the pillars of western democracy its institutions are not free from your Greece’s inhuman charade against her own citizens.

Washington Post Foreign Service LONDON, Feb. 2 -- One of the world's most prestigious book publishers confronted a rebellion today among some of its academic advisers for cancelling publication of a study about Greece because of fear of reprisals from nationalist extremists there. The manuscript -- Fields of Wheat, Rivers of Blood by Anastasia Karakasidou -- is a scholarly study of ethnicity in the Greek province of Macedonia and had been enthusiastically endorsed for publication by the panel of experts to which Cambridge University Press had submitted it. But a spokesman for Cambridge Press said that after consulting, among others, British diplomats in Greece, the publisher decided that the author and the subject were too controversial and could put at risk "life and limb" of Cambridge Press employees in Greece.

"Fields of Wheat, Rivers of Blood", a good read, highly enlightening and recommend for all those interested in the truth behind your homogeneous fantasy.

Poor Alex,

Yes I dare mention Karakasidou (one of you).

And yes, Denko is a very wise man with his own views and what a delight it is for people like him to express their own views without fear of violence and retribution. Your Hellenic Republic could do with people like him and one must wonder how many volumes he would write on the nationalistic foundations that still underpin your society even today.

But I won’t digress, my point is that we in Macedonia have nothing to hide, all our citizens are free to express themselves, form associations, speak and write as they wish. But in your so called homogeneous Greece anything outside your supposed homogeneity is punished, why, what are you afraid of?

To illustrate this point, Macedonia has at least a few dozen ethnic minorities, with many even forming political parties. Now contrast that with Greece, no minorities at all, the only country in Europe without and I would hazard to guess, the only country in the world without a single minority population. WOW, good effort, Hitler would be proud!

The real facts are that you have Greek citizens that have NOT been exposed to many decades of Titoistic one party politics as Denko wrongly suggests and they feel the same as us, MACEDONIAN! And the only reason we are discussing this silly name game is because of that one reason. For as long as there is no Republic of Macedonia, there are technically no Macedonians and therefore Greece and others have no obligation to recognise any minority population as such.

To end, an excerpt from an article in the Eurasia Review about the views of the 2nd in charge of the Greek Orthodox Church on the subject of Greek citizens wanting to start a radio station in Meliti. The only catch is they want to broadcast in their mother tongue, what they call Macedonian;

On Sunday, August 14, 2011, Metropolitan Anthimos stated the following, which was captured on video: “We have some of those who were left here since the Civil War period, as we call it, that difficult period, who did not leave to the other side and stayed here with us… [They] are now revolting, and are instigated from abroad by the Skopian [sic] propaganda … That is why we address to the Ministry of Interior and deputy ministers relevant to the media to tell us: is it true, such a radio station will become in Meliti . . . yes or no? If it is yes, then I, and the youth, and anyone else who wants to . . . [with] at least 40 or 50 buses must go there, and together with our brothers in Florina and Meliti, we will destroy everything into broken glass and nails . . . It is not possible to do the job differently.”

The video is even better, cheers!

@ both FYROMians above (or perhaps Kiril aka trajko)

The usual FYROMian trick, attacking Greece and Greeks to distract public opinion from the countless FYROMians problems... Could you perhaps tell us something about your problems? No? Well, I didn't think so. But let me mention you just a few on them...

FYROM has a very high (32%) unemployment rate,

http://www.indexmundi.com/macedonia/unemployment_rate.html

and one of the highest shares of people struggling financially, with 72% of its citizens stating that they could only manage on their household’s income ‘with difficulty’ or ‘with great difficulty', though Macedonia, along with Croatia, was the only country in the Western Balkans to not report an increase in this statistic. Corruption and a relatively ineffective legal system also act as significant restraints on successful economic development. Macedonia still has one of the lowest per capita GDPs in Europe. Furthermore, the country's grey market is estimated at close to 20% of GDP.

http://www.balkan-monitor.eu/files/BalkanMonitor-2010_Summary_of_Findings.pdf

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mk.html

The FYROM suffers from an ongoing ultra-nationalism promoted by the ruling nationalist party "Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity" (VMRO–DPMNE) and the Macedonian Diaspora, which results in a reduced international sympathy for the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_nationalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMRO-DPMNE

FYROM has launched the "Skopje 2014" project which aims to give a more monumental appearance to Skopje, the capital, and made plans to erect several statues (mainly of ancient Greeks such as Alexander the Great and his father Philip), fountains, bridges, and museums at a cost of about €500 million! The project has generated controversy: critics have described the new landmark buildings as signs of a reactionary historicist aesthetics, it has been criticised for its cost and for the lack of representation of national minorities in the coverage of its set of statues and memorials, it is accused for turning Skopje to a theme park, it is viewed as nationalistic kitsch, and has made Skopje an example to see how national identities are constructed and how this construction is mirrored in the urban space.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skopje#Skopje_2014_project

FYROM's nationalism attacks press freedom, with a TV station and three dailies closed since the beginning of 2011. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is ranked 94th in the world according to the 2011/2012 index of press freedom, conducted traditionally by the organization "Reporters Without Borders".

http://en.rsf.org/macedonia-disastrous-summer-for-macedonian-17-08-2011,40797.html

http://macedoniapressfreedom.org/

At the same time, FYROM allows an ultra-nationalistic and racist public service video praising the "Macedonoids" - progenitors of the white race, to be aired on MRT, the public broadcasting organization of the FYROM,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_Prayer_%28video%29

and FYROM have territorial claims on Greece!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Macedonia

So, dear FYROMians: nice try, yet another failure. Instead of attacking Greece and Greeks you could do something for your countless problems, starting on teaching THE TRUTH at your schools: tell to your kids that you are heavy propaganda victims, history rappers. Learn to be proud of your Slavic origin and stop claiming that you are Macedonians! You had enough brainwashing, now get smart and face the truth: You are Slavs so you speak a Slavic language -a Serbianized Bulgarian dialect- so you can't be Macedonians, since TRUE MACEDONIANS WERE AND ARE GREEK PEOPLE, speaking GREEK since ancient times!

Let us remember the words of two Greeks, two FYROMians and two international scholars:

Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 498 BCE to 454 BCE:

"Men of Athens.. In truth I would not tell it to you if I did not care so much for all Greece; I myself am by ancient descent a Greek, and I would not willingly see Greece change her freedom for slavery."

(From the speech of Alexander I of Macedon when he was admitted to the Olympic games, Herodotus, "Histories", 9.45)

Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, 356 BCE - 323 BCE:

"Your ancestors came to Macedonia and the rest of Greece and did us great harm, though we had done them no prior injury. I have been appointed leader of the Greeks, and wanting to punish the Persians I have come to Asia, which I took from you."

(Alexander's letter to Persian king Darius in response to a truce plea, as quoted in "Anabasis Alexandri" by Roman historian Arrian, Book II, 14, 4)

Krste Misirkov, philologist and publicist, one of the founders of the modern FYROMian nation, considered a national hero in FYROM:

"We are more Bulgarian than those in Bulgaria."

"We speak a Bulgarian language".

"And, anyway, what sort of new Macedonian nation can this be when we and our fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers have always been called Bulgarians?"

("За Македонцките Работи" - "On the Macedonian Matters", Sofia 1903)

Kiro Gligorov, first president of the FYROM:

"We are Slavs who came to this area in the sixth century AD. We are not descendants of the ancient Macedonians!"

(Foreign Information Service Daily Report, Eastern Europe, February 26, 1992, p. 35)

T.J. Winnifrith, British academic

FYROM was also an attempt at a multicultural society. Here the fragments are just about holding together, although the cement that binds them is an unreliable mixture of propaganda and myth. The "Macedonian" language has been created, some rather misty history involving Tsar Samuel, probably a Bulgarian, and Alexander the Great, almost certainly a Greek, has been invented, and the name Macedonia has been adopted.Do we destroy these myths or live with them? Apparently these radical Slavic factions decided to live with their myths and lies for the constant amusement for the rest of the world!

("Shattered Eagles, Balkan Fragments", Duckworth, 1995)

Eugene N. Borza, American historian, expert on Macedon:

Modern "Macedonians" cannot establish a link with antiquity, as the Slavs entered the Balkans centuries after the demise of the ancient Macedonian kingdom.

The twentieth-century development of a "Macedonian" ethnicity, and its recent evolution into independent statehood following the collapse of the Yugoslav state in 1991, has followed a rocky road. In order to survive the vicissitudes of Balkan history and politics, the "Macedonians", who have had no history, need one.

They reside in a territory once part of a famous ancient kingdom, which has borne the Macedonian name as a region ever since and was called "Macedonia" for nearly half a century as part of Yugoslavia. And they speak a language now recognized by most linguists outside Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece as a south Slavic language separate from Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, and Bulgarian.

Their own so-called "Macedonian" ethnicity had evolved for more than a century, and thus it seemed natural and appropriate for them to call the new nation "Macedonia" and to attempt to provide some cultural references to bolster ethnic survival.

("Macedonia Redux", in "The Eye Expanded: life and the arts in Greco-Roman Antiquity", ed. Frances B Tichener & Richard F. Moorton, University of California Press, 1999)

Have a nice day!

CONSUL OF MACEDONIA IN ARMENIA

Chairman of Academy of Geopolitics Arayik Sargsyan has been appointed Honorary Consul of Macedonia to Armenia. In this regard, Arayik Sargsyan told Lragir.am that as an academician and expert, he was invited to Serbia, Albania and Macedonia last year to scrutinize the Kosovo issue. The aim of the visit was to prevent possible Muslim-Christian clashes. As an independent expert with an international reputation and a scientist, the Macedonian party submitted an official request to the Foreign Ministry of Armenia informing about Arayik Sargsyan's appointment as Honorary Consul of Macedonia to Armenia. According to Arayik Sargsyan, in this office he will strengthen the Armenian-Macedonian friendship, raising awareness of the history, culture, demography and economy of Macedonia. He says he will work towards possible involvement of Macedonian investments in the economy of Armenia. "I will do everything to ensure that Armenia acquires a partner and a friend in the Balkans in the face of Macedonia," said Arayik Sargsyan.http://www.armtown.com/news/en/lra/20120413/25807/

Solve the Karabakh issue is only a new Treaty of Gulistan between Russia and Iran. Arayik Sargsyan, academician, President of the Geopolitical Academy.
NATO freeze the process of integration of the South Caucasus Republic: as was stated quite officially, "sooner or later, Georgia will become a member of NATO ... In the United States and NATO are actually viewed the South Caucasian countries as members of the same team, which sooner or later will provide the "green road" on joining the Alliance. The growth of NATO. .. can lead to the military alliance. Only new Gulustan Treaty between Russia and Iran could open the way to solve the Karabakh issue on the merits.
http://bs-kavkaz.org/2012/11/reshit-karabahskij-vopros-sposoben-tolko-novyj-gulistanskij-dogovor/

Masoud Barzani as a real threat to Nouri al-Maliki and Iraq: Arayik Sargsyan, President of the Geopolitical Academy. For several months the President of Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani wants to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leadership of Russia has argued that the agreement signed with the authorities of Iraq, would be impracticable due to sabotage and secessionist action guide of Kurdistan, headed by Massoud Barzani, and his "protege," Iraq's Kurdish President Djalyal Talabani. Anyway, we can firmly say that Iraqi Kurds hate Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki 's, because they simply are afraid as fear of Saddam Hussein. The war between the forces of the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga militia ("marching to die") we have yet to see.
http://warfiles.ru/show-16479-masud-barzani-kak-realnaya-ugroza-dlya-nuri-al-maliki-i-iraka.html

United States again returns to Iraq. Arayik Sargsyan, Academician, President of the Geoplitical Academy.
Performing a "request" Erdogan, kurds began a policy of pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on all sides. In case even the President's daughter has joined Iraq, Kurd Jalal Talabani's, Ms Ala al-Talabani. During a NATO seminar in Yerevan, NATO's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Mr. James Appathurai officially stated that: "NATO does not intervene in the Affairs of Syria, and will not interfere in the Syrian case, as it has with Libya." Our experts from Iraq have reported new plans to increase its United States FORCES in Iraq, and to the thousands of special forces intend to 4.3 thousands another 12 thousand United States Army soldiers.
United States again returns to Iraq, although it from there by and large and not leave.

http://www.yerkramas.org/2012/11/09/ssha-opyat-vozvrashhaetsya-v-irak/

The FYROM language used today was first developed after World War Two in Australia by linguists.

"The first document written in the literary standard Macedonian language is the first issue of the Nova Makedonija newspaper in 1944. Makedonska Iskra (Macedonian Spark) was the first Macedonian newspaper to be published in Australia, from 1946 to 1957. A monthly with national distribution, it commenced in Perth and later moved to Melbourne and Sydney."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_language

Arayik Sargsyan, Consul of Macedonia to Armenia:It's time to create an alliance of Christian's around Turkey:.http://bs-kavkaz.org/2012/11/reshit-karabahskij-vopros-sposoben-tolko-novyj-gulistanskij-dogovor/ …

It is the national identity of these Slav Macedonians that has been the most violently contested aspect of the whole Macedonian dispute, and is still being contested today. There is no doubt that they are southern Slavs; they have a language, or a group of varying dialects, that is grammatically akin to Bulgarian but phonetically in some respects akin to Serbian, and which has certain quite distinctive features of its own. In regard to their own national feelings, all that can safely be said is that during the last eighty years many more Slav Macedonians seem to have considered themselves Bulgarian, or closely linked to Bulgaria, than have considered themselves Serbian, or closely linked to Serbia (or Yugoslavia). Only the people of the Skopje region, in the north west, have ever shown much tendency to regard themselves as Serbs. The feeling of being Macedonians, and nothing but Macedonians, seems to be a sentiment of fairly recent growth, and even today is not very deep-rooted.

(Elisabeth Barker, "Macedonia, Its Place in Balkan Power Politics". Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. 1980. pp. p. 10. ISBN 0313225877.)

(The obviously plagiarized historical argument of the Macedonian nationalists for a separate Macedonian ethnicity could be supported only by linguistic reality, and that worked against them until the 1940s. Until a modern Macedonian literary language was mandated by the socialist-led partisan movement from Macedonia in 1944, most outside observers and linguists agreed with the Bulgarians in considering the vernacular spoken by the Macedonian Slavs as a western dialect of Bulgarian.)

Dennis P. Hupchick, "Conflict and Chaos in Eastern Europe", Palgrave Macmillan, 1995.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar reformat the Middle East for their interests. Arayik Sargsyan, academician, Honorary Consul of Macedonia to Armenia.

In my view, we are dealing with a logical continuation of actions of Tel Aviv, have recently been launched, on October 24 Israeli air raid on the warehouse of military products in the suburb of Yarmouk near the capital Khartoum, Sudan. for mediation in resolving the crisis over Gaza Mohammed Mursi was promised several (about six) billion. Hillary Clinton urged Israel not to begin land-based military operations against Gaza. U.S. will now have to put the 2 divisions Patriot systems in order to strengthen Israel's "Iron Dome." what is happening in Lebanon, including the high-profile attacks, one way or another connected with the assassination of Rafik Hariri, closely associated with Saudi Arabia and is Saudi project in Lebanon. 1976 formal agreement remains in effect. The loss of the Christian communities would end in the presence of the Holy Sepulchre, which will be deeply symbolic, spiritual - idiologicheskoe value.

http://warfiles.ru/show-18536-saudovskaya-araviya-i-katar-pereformatiruyut-blizhniy-vostok-pod-svoi-i-zapada-interesy.html