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Tue, Feb 09 2010
European Commissioner Rehn heads for Macedonia, Bosnia
European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Serbian president Boris Tadic at the start of their talks in Belgrade on July 22 2009.
European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn is mid-way through his Western Balkans farewell tour, arriving in Skopje on July 23 2009 before heading on to Bosnia and Herzegovina the next day.
In Skopje, Rehn was scheduled to meet Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski as well as the country’s foreign and European integration ministers.
A key topic in talks is expected to Skopje’s dispute with Athens over the use of the name Macedonia, an impasse which a United Nations-led process is attempting to resolve, although the EU has acknowledged that ending the dispute is important to the future of the bloc.
Greece, which rejects Skopje using the name Republic of Macedonia, has blocked its neighbour’s Nato and EU hopes until a satisfactory solution to the dispute is achieved.
In Sarajevo on July 24, Rehn is due to meet the members of the BiH presidency, the chairman of the council of ministers, Nikola Spiric, finance minister Dragan Vrankic, security minister Tarik Sadovic, foreign minister Sven Alkalaj, Republica Srpska prime minister Milorad Dodik and FBiH prime minister Mustafa Mujezinovic. Rehn will deliver a key policy speech at the BiH parliament.
In Belgrade on July 22, Rehn said that the EC was committed to Serbia’s future, but he emphasised the necessity of full co-operation with The Hague tribunal and continuing regional co-operation, Serbian news agency Beta said.
Rehn and prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic agreed that Serbia has made great progress in European integration, according to a Serbian government statement.
Cvetkovic said that the utmost effort was being made toward achieving full co-operation with the tribunal.
Rehn called on Serbia to improve its border control and its fight against organised crime and corruption so that the country’s planned admission to the Schengen visa area "white list" can go ahead.
The intention is that if all conditions are fulfilled, Serbia will join other countries of the Western Balkans, Macedonia and Montenegro, in Schengen visa-free travel from January 1 2010.
"Once Serbia fulfils outstanding conditions, visa-free travel will become a reality," Rehn said.
In Skopje, Rehn was scheduled to meet Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski as well as the country’s foreign and European integration ministers.
A key topic in talks is expected to Skopje’s dispute with Athens over the use of the name Macedonia, an impasse which a United Nations-led process is attempting to resolve, although the EU has acknowledged that ending the dispute is important to the future of the bloc.
Greece, which rejects Skopje using the name Republic of Macedonia, has blocked its neighbour’s Nato and EU hopes until a satisfactory solution to the dispute is achieved.
In Sarajevo on July 24, Rehn is due to meet the members of the BiH presidency, the chairman of the council of ministers, Nikola Spiric, finance minister Dragan Vrankic, security minister Tarik Sadovic, foreign minister Sven Alkalaj, Republica Srpska prime minister Milorad Dodik and FBiH prime minister Mustafa Mujezinovic. Rehn will deliver a key policy speech at the BiH parliament.
In Belgrade on July 22, Rehn said that the EC was committed to Serbia’s future, but he emphasised the necessity of full co-operation with The Hague tribunal and continuing regional co-operation, Serbian news agency Beta said.
Rehn and prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic agreed that Serbia has made great progress in European integration, according to a Serbian government statement.
Cvetkovic said that the utmost effort was being made toward achieving full co-operation with the tribunal.
Rehn called on Serbia to improve its border control and its fight against organised crime and corruption so that the country’s planned admission to the Schengen visa area "white list" can go ahead.
The intention is that if all conditions are fulfilled, Serbia will join other countries of the Western Balkans, Macedonia and Montenegro, in Schengen visa-free travel from January 1 2010.
"Once Serbia fulfils outstanding conditions, visa-free travel will become a reality," Rehn said.
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The Greeks seem to be messing up their own case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - read this:
http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/142/14963.pdf
On present showing, the Macedonians (ERYdM now, not FYRom, as the ICJ uses French) will probably win this case. So what will poor Greece do then ?
Voden will soon have its own name. We are going to call it tke land of the great cucumber!!!!!!!
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained
slavodonia sounds good so how bout it?
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained
Sorry to pour cold water, "Country with no Name", but a compromise with Greece will indeed be avoided once the EU ban on "single nation veto" comes in, and Republic of Macedonia is admitted under that name.
And for that you have to thank Slovenia, for using the "single nation veto" for so long against Croatia....all other Member States have got pissed off, and the Lisbon Treaty will have a minor amendment accordingly.
Still the name issue as a precondition of FYROm's access to the EU block...
They cannot avoid the compromise with Greece. That's a good point.