Greece and Macedonia

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/opinion/greece-macedonia.html

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To the Editor:

“What’s in a Name? For Macedonia, Peace and Security” (news article, March 21) submits in an online picture caption that renaming Alexander the Great Airport was a concession by Skopje in the dispute with Greece over the name Macedonia.

Actually, the new name redresses a violation of the bilateral 1995 Interim Accord that was part of a series of similar violations by previous governments in Skopje, in an effort to forge an official state ideology at the expense of Greek cultural heritage.

The Greek government has repeatedly demonstrated a solid will to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The United States ambassador to Greece recently acknowledged the Greek government’s will to resolve the name issue.

With Greece’s consent, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia gained European Union candidate status and secured visa liberalization.

Greece is actively seeking to settle any pending issues in the Balkans based on mutually acceptable compromise, for the sake of enhanced regional security and stability.

EFTHYMIOS ARAVANTINOSWASHINGTON

The writer is press counselor at the Embassy of Greece.