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Sun, May 19 2013
Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia affirm support for EU prospects of Western Balkans
Dimitris Droutsas, Nikolai Mladenov and Vuk Jeremic
Photo: Bulgarian Foreign Ministry
From left, foreign ministers Dimitris Droutsas of Greece, Nikolai Mladenov of Bulgaria and Vuk Jeremic of Serbia at a news conference at the Foreign Ministry in Sofia on December 11 2010.
Photo: Bulgarian Foreign Ministry
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov, his Greek counterpart Dimitris Droutsas and Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic held a trilateral meeting in Sofia on December 11 2010, voicing support for the accession of the countries of the Western Balkans to the European Union.
Mladenov and Droutsas specifically underlined their respective countries’ support for Serbia’s EU accession.
As existing EU member states, Bulgaria and Greece had a historic responsibility to assist Western Balkans countries prepare for membership of the bloc, Mladenov said.
He emphasised that three conditions had to be met for European integration – harmonisation with EU legislation, regional co-operation and good neighbourly relations.
Droutsas said that his country, which would in 2014 hold the rotating presidency of the EU, intended to hold a Thessaloniki II summit, a follow-up to the 2003 event that brought together representatives of EU members and Western Balkans countries and that established crucial points about the countries’ accession path, including EU support for it.
Droutsas also reiterated his country’s backing for Serbia joining the EU, and said that he hoped that by 2014, all Western Balkans countries would be given dates for accession.
Jeremic said that his country hoped to begin membership negotiations in 2011.
On October 25 2010, EU foreign ministers agreed to forward to the European Commission Serbia’s application for EU membership.
Asked about the dispute between Athens and Skopje about the use of the name Macedonia, Mladenov said that Bulgaria regarded this as a bilateral issue between Greece and Macedonia, and hoped that a compromise would be reached as soon as possible.
Droutsas said that Greece wanted the dispute with Skopje resolved, and wanted the country to join the European family. Skopje was well aware of what needed to be done, Droutsas said.
Mladenov and Droutsas specifically underlined their respective countries’ support for Serbia’s EU accession.
As existing EU member states, Bulgaria and Greece had a historic responsibility to assist Western Balkans countries prepare for membership of the bloc, Mladenov said.
He emphasised that three conditions had to be met for European integration – harmonisation with EU legislation, regional co-operation and good neighbourly relations.
Droutsas said that his country, which would in 2014 hold the rotating presidency of the EU, intended to hold a Thessaloniki II summit, a follow-up to the 2003 event that brought together representatives of EU members and Western Balkans countries and that established crucial points about the countries’ accession path, including EU support for it.
Droutsas also reiterated his country’s backing for Serbia joining the EU, and said that he hoped that by 2014, all Western Balkans countries would be given dates for accession.
Jeremic said that his country hoped to begin membership negotiations in 2011.
On October 25 2010, EU foreign ministers agreed to forward to the European Commission Serbia’s application for EU membership.
Asked about the dispute between Athens and Skopje about the use of the name Macedonia, Mladenov said that Bulgaria regarded this as a bilateral issue between Greece and Macedonia, and hoped that a compromise would be reached as soon as possible.
Droutsas said that Greece wanted the dispute with Skopje resolved, and wanted the country to join the European family. Skopje was well aware of what needed to be done, Droutsas said.
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Is so simple Ancient Makedonian,speak the gReek language or your slavic?they have Greek name or your slavic?Slavs are very historical people BUT they come on this area after 6 century (by historical fact)so is idiotic to claim the Skopians that,they are Makedonian,very idiotic!
Be sirious,check your name Fyromians (slavic)check your language (slavobulgarian diallect)nothing Makedonian (Greek word)stop be more rediculus,we greeks never accept this idiotic Tito propaganda!!!!NO WAY.....
is very clear by historical fact,that Makedonian was Greek!is very clear that,Fyrom is slavoBulgarian,who wanna be Makedonian!
Greek side are very clear...no name solution....NO EUROPE,NO NATO for fake nation GyftoSkopians!
FYROM nationalist have betrayed the spirit of Gruev, Delchev et al. They seemingly are ashamed of their own Bulgarian ethnic roots.
"We are Bulgarians and we always work and will work for the unification of the Bulgariandom.” (Gruev)
"We are Bulgarians" (Gotse Delchev in his own handwriting)
tinyurl(dot)com/2vsvo3f
"A member of BMARC can be any Bulgarian, independent of gender"
(article 3 of BMARC statutes)
@LAVO
100 years ago the region used to officially called Rumelia. At the time it was owned by the Turks NOT some illusionist Macedonian state promoted by nationalist fanatics) Your ancestors back them weren't ashamed to call themselves BULGARIANs.
If you believe some injustice has been committed you are welcome to hand back FYROM's territory to the Turks whom your Bulgarian ancestors took it from by force.
I'm sure Turkey would be more than happy to give back the Turkish names to your cities (starting with your capital of Uskub) [...]
Read the full comment
The words FYROM ultra-nationalists hide in shame from their own children.
--- Krste Misirkov ---
"We are Bulgarians, more Bulgarians than the Bulgarians in Bulgaria themselves."[...]'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?"
"Macedonians means only Macedonian Bulgarians"
“The only Macedonian Slavs who played a leading part in the Uprising were those who called themselves Bulgarians.”
“The first objection — that a Macedonian [...]
Read the full comment Slav nationality has never existed — may be very simply answered as follows: what has not existed in the past may still be brought into existence later, provided that the appropriate historical circumstances arise.”
“We did indeed call ourselves “Bulgarians” and “Christians” in the national sense”
“No matter whether we call ourselves Bulgarians or Macedonians we shall always feel as a nationality with a Bulgarian national consciousness,”
“We are Bulgarian more than the Bulgarians in Bulgaria. The population of Skopje is pure Bulgarian. The Serbian not only want to colonize Macedonia with Serbs from other part of Yugoslavia, but they wish to kill our Bulgarian consciousness."
“The Ilinden Uprising of 1903 had a pronounced effect on me and caused me to make some mistakes which completely isolated me from the Bulgarian cause in Macedonia. With great respect I was forced to temporarily renounce completely working for the realization of the Bulgarian national ideals[...] “The same Mr Zanetov gave me the idea to appeal to you and ask for a lecturing position at the Bulgarian Male Gymnasium in Salonika. I agreed with satisfaction to Mr Zanetov’s proposal, since in this way I would receive the opportunity, anew, and according to my ability to serve the Bulgarian national interest and ideals”
The current Bulgarian government is mistaken in being neutral in the dispute. FYROM represents literally an existential threat to Bulgaria.
For FYROM ultra nationalists to become "ancient Macedonians" logically requires they rewrite the history of middle age Bulgarians into "ethnic Macedonians" (to show a path to antiquity).
Bulgarians have forgotten that Yugoslavia used force to convert over a million ethnic Bulgarians into "ethnic Macedonians". This trend of oppression of the Bulgarian identity continues to this day in FYROM (and will continue indefinitely since the extreme nationalist in FYROM hide their shame by [...]
Read the full comment falsifying Bulgarian history)
Alone, FYROM is powerless (despite all their chauvinism their only real weapon is crocodile tears). However with the ongoing aid from world powers and their alliance with Turkey Bulgaria (nor Greeks) shouldn't underestimate the fascism growing unimpeded in FYROM.
Maybe the EU kicks Greece out because of economic and political instability. Then Macedonia has no problems...other than their own economic and political instability.
Oh dear, here we go again............
It all reminds me of the Kalinigrad enclave (exclave ?), which is also variously called Konigsburg (German), Krolewiec (Polish) and Karalaucius (Lithuanian) by those who claim the territory as their own !
Some comments remind me of the
riots and their demonstration panels held nowadays in tge streets of Athens.I don't rtge Albos trying to have ,in vain of course, a takover.
Well that's funny because neither the Romans, nor Byzantines nor the Ottomans ever recorded an "ethnic Macedonian" race. But if you want to run around like chickens and claim you are the descendants of a maniac greek conqueror then who can blame the rising Albanian minority for wanting to become independent?
Funny how the EU recently set the condition of freedom of the press and media before Skopje can join the EU. It is common for humans to blame their problems on other people. The only way for your country to progress is to stop hating and blaming your neighbours and admitting you are the problem then you can finally begin fixing it!
Macedonia as Macedonia only you Greek Liars, wake up..ROM the 3 partners in crime are hoping you change your name (NO WAY) they took possession of our land only 100 years ago, Hand it BACK.. Macedonia for Macedonians…
At last! the correct Handsake which means so much for the whole
of the Balkans
If Fyrom wants to join the club
welcome as The Republic of Northern Macedonia.
Yes once the Skopjian people fix their name they can be in the eu. Before Tito there was no skojian problem. Now some naive people think they have been around forever. Good job Droutsas, Mladenov and Jeremic! Make sure that the Balkan thieves in skopje stay accountable to their attempted theft of the Greek cultural heritage. There will always be stefov's and other skopjian thieves but in the end the western balkans will enter the eu with or without the skopjian nation. It will always be remembered that the skopjian nation was born in 1991, next year having its 20th [...]
Read the full comment birthday. How funny that such a infantile nation also has leaders who are actually very infantile. If the skopjians could break out of their Tito world just maybe they would remember that before Tito 80% of the skopjians identified themselves as Bulgarians while the rest were Albanians. Today the skopjians are trying to convince us Europeans that they are anything other that a Slavic race. The Bulgarians know as we do that all skopjians were, are and always will be a Slavic race descendent from their Bulgarian roots.
Good job Bulgaria!
if you look at every state in the balkans there is only one that respects all nationalities and is peaceful, that being makedonija.
this is why they are constantly being attacked by all sides. lead by example and they will have no choice
Mr.Droutsas speaks with forked tongue.Macedonia should be in EU.The name has nothing to do with Greeces concern,it is the failed recognition of the indigenouse Macedonians within Greeces borders.Remember 1995 Interim Agreement,Macedonia agreed on the present borders,than what is Greeces problems?.The answere is;Greece wants to wipe-out the existance of the Macedonians,period.Well,the Romans nor the Ottomans succeeded fo over 1500 years,Greece will not succeed either.
Why all these states from the Balkans, these are going to become boms in EU like Bulgaria and Romania.
Perhaps by 2014 the EU will itself be in a good enough economic condition to consider Serbia as a new member.. Perhaps not..