Crisisweb Report on Macedonia

[Anna Balint]

C R I S I S W E B   N E W S
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Monday, 10 December 2001


Macedonia
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Macedonia's Name: Why the Dispute Matters and How to Resolve It
The signing of the Framework Agreement at Ohrid in August was a notable
success, but Macedonia is not out of danger. The conflict with 
Albanians and the Ohrid agreement have undermined Macedonia's
fragile sense of national identity. Unless this anxiety is addressed, the
Framework Agreement may buckle and the country slide back into conflict. The
most acute identity issue - and the one that, if resolved, would have most
positive impact - is the long-running name dispute with Greece. Since 1992,
at Greek insistence, Macedonia has been internationally known under the
provisional name 'former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia', or FYROM. ICG
argues that there are now compelling strategic reasons for the international
community to acknowledge the country's constitutional name, 'Republika
Makedonija', while accepting and defending Greece's legitimate concerns. 

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