WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 26, 2008 – On March 25, 2008, the United Macedonian Diaspora took out advertisements in three of Macedonia’s largest daily newspapers, Dnevnik, Utrinski Vesnik, and Vecer stressing that the Macedonian Diaspora is against any changes to Macedonia’s constitutional name.The advertisements titled “NATO Membership Might Have a Price, but the Macedonian Name and Identity Do Not” reminded the President and the Prime Minister of their constitutional duty to uphold Macedonia’s constitutional name.
Furthermore, UMD iterated that the Macedonian Diaspora is Macedonia’s biggest partner and will continue to support and invest in Macedonia’s future, regardless of Macedonia’s NATO membership.Over 80,000 people worldwide who adamantly reject any name changes have signed UMD’s petition against a name change for the Republic of Macedonia, and a recent poll conducted by a think tank in Skopje indicated that over 95% of the Macedonians are against a name change as the price for NATO membership. To read UMD’s petition, click HERE .
Our ancestors fought and died for a free, independent, and sovereign Macedonian State.Macedonia’s government must not allow Greece to blackmail Macedonia into a name change name that will have a negative impact on Macedonian identity, and Macedonia’s centuries-old history.The name of Macedonia for international use is Republic of Macedonia and should not be changed.
Macedonia has compromised enough with Greece to resolve this imposed “name dispute.” Greece has simply ignored all of Macedonia’s concessions.If Greece violates the provisions in the 1995 Interim Accord between the two nations by vetoing Macedonia’s NATO membership, then Macedonia should react and abandon these negotiation talks.
Macedonia will continue its successful transition to a multi-ethnic democracy regardless of whether it joins NATO.It is NATO and the region, not the Republic of Macedonia, which will suffer the brunt of Greece’s anti-Macedonian fanaticism as NATO’s interests, past efforts, expansion, and prestige in the region will be irreparably damaged by a Greek veto of Macedonia’s NATO membership.
The advertisements (in Macedonian) can be seen by clicking on the following links: