WHO WILL UNTIE THE GREEK - MACEDONIAN KNOT?

AIM, Skopje, March 30, 1994

Some of those who voted for the sun of Vergina on the Macedonian flag did not even know what does that symbol denotes. Is it realistic to expect Macedonia to fulfill, if not all, at least a part of the Greek requests. Speculations started in Macedonia long ago that everything has actually been agreed upon, with the name "New Macedonia" being most frequently mentioned. Will Clinton succeed in untying the Greek - Macedonian knot?

Macedonia is the only UN member country which practically has no name of its own as far as the international public is concerned. And maybe its case is unique, for the destiny of a state to depend on its name. It is still uncertain how the Greek - Macedonian misunderstanding will be solved. At this moment, the news is that the USA has directly involved itself in the resolution of this problem, so that these days the envoy of the American President is daily visiting Athens and Skopje. There are already some signs that the negotiations will be continued. The preconditions put forward by Athens in order for it to agree to sit at the negotiating table - firm readiness of Macedonia to compromise is requested - seem unacceptable at the moment for Macedonia. But judging by some declarations of the Skopje officials, such as those that Macedonia can endure no longer under the Greek embargo, it is not hard to conclude that Skopje is ready to give in.

Greece insists on the sun being taken off the Macedonian flag, as it is the symbol of the Macedonian dynasty engraved on the golden casket near today's Vergina, in which the remains of the father of Alexander the Great - Philip the Second were found. Greece also has objections to the Macedonian Constitution and requests that it should be changed in those parts which mention that the republic will care for its minority outside the state borders.

The Vergina sun found itself on the Macedonian flag in the attempt to avoid the lion which was problematic, because it had Bulgarian roots and also because the one suggested reminded of the lion on the Bulgarian flag. Fleeing from the pro-Bulgarian symbol, Macedonia stumbled on the Vergina sun, where most of those voting in the Republican Parliament did not even know where the symbol originated from. Some of the local historians tried in vain to explain that the symbol was used in Macedonia at the beginning of this century also; a golden casket with the engraved symbol was found in 1974 in Vergina, by the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikis.

Is it realistic to expect Macedonia to remove the symbol from its flag? Judging by the fact that most of the citizens of Macedonia are not emotionally tied to this flag (if for no other reason, then because a flag with this symbol has adorned the streets of cities here on holidays for less than two years), it is possible to expect some changes to take place. It will not be easy and this change will not be possible without major political squabbles. However, it is not unrealistic to expect that the consent of the majority of deputies in Parliament is solicited for such a change. For a long time now, there have been rumours that "everything has already been agreed upon" in Macedonia, that even the new name is already known (the name "New Macedonia" is bandied about), but no one has yet officially confirmed this.

Greece has been losing ground for quite some time now. With the introduction of the embargo against Macedonia, it has further compromised its reputation among its European partners. This, however, still does not mean that it will "come out of this mess" as the "damaged party". It is clear that it will not withdraw unless, at least part of its requests are fulfilled. As for the symbol on the Macedonian flag, some believe to be "part of the story" which can be solved in this or that way, but major problems arise when the very name of Macedonia is brought in question. It is unrealisitc to expect that this can be done without profound national upheavals. The unofficial Greek proposal that this state be called "Slavomacedonia", is unacceptable both for Macedonians and especially for non-Macedonias living in this state. That name does not reflect the true picture of the population of this country, with a large percentage of non-Macedonians and non-Slavs also. When we add to this that of late, the thesis is gaining ground among the Macedonians about their direct descent from the ancient Macedonians, it is realistic to expect this name to be unacceptable for them.

Consequently, the Greek-Macedonian knot is becoming ever tighter. It is not known yet whether Clinton will be able to untie it. Nemitz, the envoy of the American President, is tight-lipped and has not yet stated what is it that America is offering to the disputing parties. Expectations that America's involvement in this dispute could mean the settlement of the problem can be realistic only if we proceed from the assumption that the Americans know how to make a clean cut. We should only wish that until than no one gets the idea of untying the Greek - Macedonian knot with a sword, in the Balkan way, after which it would be very difficult to put the "swords" back in their "sheaths".

KIM MEHMETI