FYROM And Greece To The ICJ

International Court of Justice tomorrow will hold public hearings which aim to resolve the 20-year dispute between Greece and FYROM over the name of the former Yugoslav republic. Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia will go to the court on Monday and Tuesday to be followed by Greece.

FM Milososki: "FYROM ready to confront Greece before ICJ"
Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Milososki said that in its application, FYROM requests ICJ to determine that Greece at the NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008 breached Article 11 from the..
 Interim Accord, i.e. it objected the NATO membership invitation for FYROM, even though it would be referred to by the interim reference. The Court is requested to bind Greece to immediately make all the necessary steps in order to respect its obligations under Article 11.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is well-prepared for a public hearing, which is to be held this Monday before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague in relation to a lawsuit against the Republic of Greece for breaching the Interim Accord signed by the countries in 1995.

Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Milososki at a press briefing on Thursday said that in its application, FYROM requests ICJ to determine that Greece at the NATO summit in Bucharest in April 2008 breached Article 11 from the Interim Accord, i.e. it objected the NATO membership invitation for FYROM, even though it would be referred to by the interim reference. The Court is requested to bind Greece to immediately make all the necessary steps in order to respect its obligations under Article 11.

The head of country's diplomacy, who will lead the FYROMian delegation to Monday's hearing, said the proceedings do not refer to the political name dispute between FYROM and Greece and the Court will not settle the countries' differences involving the name. He noted that ICJ proceedings and negotiations aiming at overcoming the differences involving the name are two separate and different processes. "It is not expected the verdict to affect the negotiation stances of FYROM regarding the name and the country with and without this lawsuit will continue with a political dialogue in order the name row to be closed, because the only way to settle the issue is through the UN-brokered talks."

"It is an international and legal dispute in which Greece is the focus of the lawsuit, not NATO and it refers to Greece's treatment prior to and during the Bucharest Summit," Milososki elaborated.

"We would respect the verdict, whatever it is going to be, but we would not prejudice before it is pronounced. The most important thing is to present FYROM's arguments and facts before the Court, which are to lay grounds for a just decision to be reached," FM Milososki said.

He added that both parties in the dispute have agreed oral arguments to be presented at a hearing, which will be open for the public. FYROM, Milososki said, has requested during the proceedings the FM Milososki: "FYROM ready to confront Greece before ICJ"


click here for the schedule of public hearings and here for some FYROM's violation of the interim accord and some comments from Matthew Nimetz.