Cyprus Action Network of America  (CANA)  

New York: Greek Political Establishment Gives Up on Macedonia Name Issue

For Immediate Release: September 28, 2008

Contact: Nikolaos Taneris, New York, Tel. 1-917-699-9935

NEW YORK—The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) was informed by top community leaders in New York, that following a series of meetings and interviews with the Greek political ruling class in town  this past week for the meeting of the UN general assembly, it became apparent that New Democracy and the Hellenic Foreign Ministry led by Ms. Dora Bakoyiannis, and PASOK led by George Papandreou  (junior) bow to US State Department “pressure” and agree  to a “geographical name” for the Macedonia name issue, meaning the Greek political establishment is now promoting the name “Upper Macedonia” or “Northern Macedonia”  for Skopje.

The US State Department assigned Matthew Nimetz to his present role as “UN envoy” to cover the Macedonia name issue, previously this same Nimetz was assigned as an envoy to cover Cyprus.  An unspoken characterization about the Greece desk or Aegean desk in the US State Department is that “Greeks are easy” and are “pushovers.”  The unelected civil servants working in the US State Department eagerly seek out working on the Greece desk, which is used as springboard for lucrative positions in private sector public relations activities. As the record with former US State Department employee Nicholas Burns shows, US State Department officials are typically dealt with obsequiously by the Greek diplomatic corps and political establishment and their allies in the diaspora. The strong Turkish influence and penetration of the US State Department in recent decades plays a definite role, in inspiring the ideology of the Department for the region.

Giving up on the Macedonia name issue, means that the Greek political establishment is now at odds with historical truth. They are pandering to false historical revisionism in by assigning an official name that belongs only to Hellenes and to the Hellenic epic history, to the Skopje government representing the majority Slavophone cultures or ways of life in the Vardarska Republika surrounding the Balkan city of Skopje. 

Many are convinced that the Hellenic foreign ministry is agreeing to a “geographical name” so as to seem agreeable and compromising to US State Department “pressure”, and are counting on the ultranationalist “TIVO” government of Mr. Gruevski in Skopje to reject the “geographical name”, so that the Hellenic Foreign Ministry can walk away, with no compromise, yet appear to be compromising.

Hellenic ideals of truth, historical or otherwise, are in the balance. The Greek political establishment if appearing to accept, in sincerity or in bluff, a name for an identity that belongs to the Hellenes, is an act that fails us all.

CANA grassroots you tube channel  ( www.youtube.com/user/CANAgrassroots  ), managed to capture a live interview between the President of the Pan-Macedonians  USA Ms. Nina Gatzoulis and PASOK president Mr. George Papandreou (junior), Ms. Gatzoulis informs George (junior) that Mr. Nimetz takes pro-Skopjian stances and also tells George (junior) that Obama supports that Macedonia is a Hellenic heritage and asks his position on the Macedonia name issue, George (junior) replies that he supports a “geographical name”, Ms. Gatzoulis says this appears to be the party line of all parties with the exception of LAOS party (Popular Orthodox Rally a minor party) and George (junior) replies “I don’t agree with LAOS” and then George (junior) steers clear away from Ms. Gatzoulis. SEE our CANAgrassroots you tube video, PRESIDENT OF PAN MACEDONIANS GRILLS PAPANDREOU: URL :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2KVLsN_tE

####

========================

Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)

2578 Broadway #132

New York, NY 10025

New York: Tel. 917-699-9935

Email: cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org

www.cyprusactionnetwork.org

========================

The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) is a grass-roots, not-for-profit movement created to support genuine self-determination and human rights for the people of Cyprus.

You may post any CANA article, press release or action alert on the internet as long as you credit CANA and the author(s).