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 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

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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
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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.




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