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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsDiplomacyU.S. Classified Cable Says FYROM Wanted 'North Macedonia' Name Since 2008

U.S. Classified Cable Says FYROM Wanted 'North Macedonia' Name Since 2008


A previously classified State Department cable released by Wikileaks says that the government in Skopje was prepared to accept the term “North” or “Northern Macedonia” as far back as 2008.
The cable was written by the then US Ambassador to FYROM Gillian Milovanovic after confidential discussions with the country’s top officials, including the Prime Minister at the time, Nikola Gruevski.
The cable makes clear that “bottom line is Macedonia needs assurance that their language, nationality, etc. would continue to be called Macedonian, not North Macedonian.”
Commentators in Greece say that the document proves that the current FYROM leadership made no real concessions to the Greek side in reaching the Prespes agreement that settled the name dispute.
In reality, they argue, Skopje achieved what it wanted to achieve ten years ago.
The cable written on July 29, 2008 reads:
Embassy Skopje assesses that in the context of an agreement that clears the way for NATO membership and the start of EU accession talks, the Macedonian government would ultimately accept the following terms:
— Name: Republic of Northern Macedonia (or: Republic of North Macedonia)
— Scope: in all international organizations, plus bilaterally by any country that does not want to use the constitutional name. (Although we have not discussed this explicitly, presumably international agreements would follow the same pattern, with multilateral ones using the new name and bilateral ones having the option.) Macedonia would use its constitutional name in referring to itself, on passports, product labels, in the media, etc.
— Identity: The language and nationality would be called Macedonian, but this could be handled tacitly, perhaps as a subsequent annex to a UNSCR, or in some other internal UN document not subject to Greek review/approval. Bottom line is Macedonia needs assurance that their language, nationality, etc. would continue to be called Macedonian, not North Macedonian.

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