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«Greek Opposition Vows to Resolve Name Spat
Skopje | 02 September 2009 | Sinisa-Jakov Marusic

Greece's main opposition party, the Panhellenic Socialist Party, PASOK, will take a different course in resolving the naming dispute with neighbouring Macedonia should it win fresh polls....


"When PASOK comes to power we will solve the issue .We will be sending a message of reconciliation, not of confrontation,“ PASOK's Andreas Loverdos, told Greek news portal Newstime.gr on Wednesday.

Loverdos, who served as deputy premier from 2002 to 2004, blames the ruling conservative New Democracy party for transforming differences over the naming issue into a full-blown confrontation with Skopje.

Last year, Athens blocked Skopje's NATO entrance over the long-standing dispute, seriously damaging bilateral relations. Athens argues that its neighbour's official name, Republic of Macedonia, implies that Skopje is making territorial claims to Greece's northern province of Macedonia.

Loverdos says that Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis is making a mistake by not engaging in direct talks with Skopje and instead leaving the matter of finding a mutually acceptable compromise to UN mediator Matthew Nimetz.

As a sign of good will, "PASOK will accept the return to Greece of Slavmacedonian refugees who left the country after the civil war", Loverdos added. Slavmacedonians is the name used by some Greek officials to refer to Macedonians.

Skopje demands the return of the refugees, who fought on the side of the Democratic Army of Greece, the military branch of the Greek Communist Party, which lost the 1946-1949 civil war.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis recently told voters to prepare for early elections on September 16, which he hopes will see New Democracy secure a fresh mandate to overhaul Greece's financial and social systems.

Macedonia fears that Greece could move to block its EU accession process due to domestic political considerations. Athens has openly threatened to do so, pending a solution to the row.»