The whole idea of expanding NATO in the Balkans is not to enrich the politicians of Skopje, but to create peace and stability to a troubled region. It therefore makes no sense for an applicant wishing to join a club to dictate the terms of its admission and to create tension and problems to established members. This isn't a dispute over a name (the great Slavs arrived in the 5th Century AD so even a school boy would laugh at Skopje's claims to Macedonia's ancient heritage) -- rather, it's an attempt by a country without a past (Skopje is the remnant of Tito's fragmented republic) to create an artificial history. But does Skopje really think that it can achieve its goals by irritating its neighbour Greece by naming its airport 'Alexander the Great,' placing the White Tower of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, on its banknotes and promoting the idea that Greek Premier Constantine Karamanlis, himself a Macedonian, is a Nazi? Skopje should instead focus on improving the lot of its poor -- as someone who has visited hospitals there, they make the health services of many African nations look good. Skopje should call itself the Federated Republic of the Central Balkans, accept the rights of all its minorities (Serbs, Bulgarians, Albanians, Greeks, Turks, Roma) and work hard to eliminate corruption, create jobs and improve its health care and pensions. Wasting time on a fight with Greece it cannot win is only achieving one thing -- the further impoverishment of the Skopje people. And as for the Skopje loyalists in the United States and Australia who have long-claimed that being Slav doesn't disqualify them from having the DNA of the ancient Macedonians (which school of logic did they attend?) it's about time they put their money to work where it will achieve the best results, namely creating jobs for the peoples of Skopje. To claim that noone has the right to dictate their constitutional name is ignoring the key fact that Skopje's text books voice territorial ambitions over Northern Greece. Even with the best will in the world, even the Greek Communist Party can't accept such blatant aggression. The Greek civil war saw Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria provide material and other support to the Greek Communist rebels. Today however Greece lives in peace and cooperation with all these countries except Skopje. And which country is the poorest and with the worst potential? Skopje. Conclusion: call yourself whatever you want but beware that according to the law of physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I look forward to the day when Greeks can sit down with the leaders of the dynamic Federative Republic of the Central Balkans (Skopje) to sip ouzo and drink to the health of a new nation at peace with itself and its peoples.

The Professor's comment was right on the mark. Greece has all the rights as a member of NATO to dictate terms to a non-NATO member. If any other country, including the USA, was presented with the problem Greece faces today, I am sure that they would respond in the same way or even perhaps in a much more confrontational manner. So, for Skopje to insist on stealing the name and everything that goes with it, I can only say this Macedonia is Greece. And for Mr. Bush please stay out of foreign affairs, the entire world knows that you have no clue about this or any other issue.

Macedonia must be allowed to joing Nato. She contributes to NATO led fihgt againts terorist elements. Greece has no right to veto. Macedonia is recognised by over 120 countries with its constitutional name.Greece never recognised that Macedonians do exist in their native country.

Prof. Francis Wilson do you know the Balkan history? This is a repeat of August 2 1913 what the Big Powers did to Macedonia in Bucharest , are you aware of that? First of all Macedonia exists for over four thousand years, Greece became a country in 1832.Find out about the Macedonians in Pakistan the Unzu province that joint Pakistan in 1974. Find out if they and us Macedonians have any similarity in language as spoken today. I can tell you prof. you know no history. Furthermore , I am from the Greek part of Macedonia, I never spoke Greek, my mother tong is Macedonian. Greece changed our names, toponomsof mountaines, rivers and so on just to look like Greek.The reason Macedonians joint the Greek comunists to fight the Greek government was because they the only ones promised the Macedonian masses they will have the same rights as the Greeks, not because they were comunist,also we were opressed by the Greek military police. You do not know how brutal the Greeks were and still are.I would like you to reaserch the folowing;1814-15 the Vienna Congress, the impementationby the English in 1878 Berlin Congress.The Cyrilic Alphabet was foremed in Salonica by Sv. Cyril and Sv,Methodi over 1000 years ago.The Original Christian manuscripts from the greatr Christian Era published in Macedonia during the 9th and 12th Cencury are a testament to that and are now in Vatican City of Rome, in the St.Petersburg public library, in the St.Catherine Monastery in Mount Sinai.In 1801 J.D.Carlyle and Dr. Hunt visitedHoly Mountain, the center of Christendom, where they foundhuge volume of books in Macedonian.John Foster Fraser in his book "Pictures fromthe Balkanspublished in 1906 he said,I have some hope, that in years to come the people in the Balkans, will think less of their Bulgarian, Turkish or Greek Nationalities and a great deal more of the fact they are all Macedonians" The 1903 Ilinden Uprising that hundrets of our Heroes perished for our freedom.Greece is made up of classical Myths and of Byronic romanticism,elusive dreams of the modern political theory, especially cultivated by the English.Captain Evans observed that the Greek language in Northern Greece was regarded as a foreign language and the Greeks were distrusted as something alien in the full sense of the word and viewed as foreigners in Macedonia.Captain Evans was sent to Northern Greece by the British on Sept. 16, 1943. Prof Wilson reaserch before you comment, and not just shoot from your hip.I wonder Sir what your students are learning. Is it the same as the Greeks would like you to tell a mythical history? I might look like I am a bit ticked off and rightly so brcause you are not telling the history as is.The Alexander The Great People were Europian, the Greeks DNA is from Ethiopia, they are not Europian, therfore they have nothing to do with Alexander the Great, we do. Macedonia for the Macedonians.

Prof. Francis Wilson do you know the Balkan history? This is a repeat of August 2 1913 what the Big Powers did to Macedonia in Bucharest , are you aware of that? First of all Macedonia exists for over four thousand years, Greece became a country in 1832.Find out about the Macedonians in Pakistan the Unzu province that joint Pakistan in 1974. Find out if they and us Macedonians have any similarity in language as spoken today. I can tell you prof. you know no history. Furthermore , I am from the Greek part of Macedonia, I never spoke Greek, my mother tong is Macedonian. Greece changed our names, toponomsof mountaines, rivers and so on just to look like Greek.The reason Macedonians joint the Greek comunists to fight the Greek government was because they the only ones promised the Macedonian masses they will have the same rights as the Greeks, not because they were comunist,also we were opressed by the Greek military police. You do not know how brutal the Greeks were and still are.I would like you to reaserch the folowing;1814-15 the Vienna Congress, the impementationby the English in 1878 Berlin Congress.The Cyrilic Alphabet was foremed in Salonica by Sv. Cyril and Sv,Methodi over 1000 years ago.The Original Christian manuscripts from the greatr Christian Era published in Macedonia during the 9th and 12th Cencury are a testament to that and are now in Vatican City of Rome, in the St.Petersburg public library, in the St.Catherine Monastery in Mount Sinai.In 1801 J.D.Carlyle and Dr. Hunt visitedHoly Mountain, the center of Christendom, where they foundhuge volume of books in Macedonian.John Foster Fraser in his book "Pictures fromthe Balkanspublished in 1906 he said,I have some hope, that in years to come the people in the Balkans, will think less of their Bulgarian, Turkish or Greek Nationalities and a great deal more of the fact they are all Macedonians" The 1903 Ilinden Uprising that hundrets of our Heroes perished for our freedom.Greece is made up of classical Myths and of Byronic romanticism,elusive dreams of the modern political theory, especially cultivated by the English.Captain Evans observed that the Greek language in Northern Greece was regarded as a foreign language and the Greeks were distrusted as something alien in the full sense of the word and viewed as foreigners in Macedonia.Captain Evans was sent to Northern Greece by the British on Sept. 16, 1943. Prof Wilson reaserch before you comment, and not just shoot from your hip.I wonder Sir what your students are learning. Is it the same as the Greeks would like you to tell a mythical history? I might look like I am a bit ticked off and rightly so brcause you are not telling the history as is.The Alexander The Great People were Europian, the Greeks DNA is from Ethiopia, they are not Europian, therfore they have nothing to do with Alexander the Great, we do. Macedonia for the Macedonians.

Peter G... and Kosovo was recognized by countless countries right away... does that make it a legal and sovereign nation? Please spare us your stupidity and accept the fact that history that has been entrenched in society for the past 2000+ years cannot be re-written by a bunch of no name Slavs who insist on calling themselves by a Greek name and claiming Greek history.

Yes, even a "school boy" as the professor put it, can clearly see that Greek's stand is nazism under a mask- the denial of another country's identity, name... What is behind it? It is clearly hate for other people... Federated Republic of Central Balkans? Hahahaha... you must be insane! Macedonia has been Macedonia and NATO membership isn't a reason strong enough to make people give up their identity.

Prof. you do not a clue what you are talking about you think your going to a Macedonian like myself that I am greek your stupid do your research and don't make comments when your not greek or Macedonian. You have no clue what the stupid did to my people killing them like the Nazi's did to the Jews. So think before you moron.