FINGERPRINTS OF THE DAY Fire Storming in the Neighbourhood: Skopja

It is extremely difficult indeed to look inside your neighbour’s house, when the roof of your house is bursting in flames. However, the principle stated in the book Mafia Manager “Mind your own business but keep your eye on the other successful businesses” applies in this case too.

So in this case, although the economic crisis has rapidly rattled in whole the state’s economic life and the political life, the democratic institutions, the social cohesion and lately the personal/family relationships, this frightening event does not justify the ostrichism.

In other words, while it constitutes a serious alibi, it does not justify the complete ignorance of important events, which take place next door.

The state of Skopje, as we call it (or Democracy of Macedonia, as some Skopjans, many countries of the World and Wikipedia wish to call it, or the state of Slav Macedonians as it was brilliantly selected by both Konstantinos Mitsotakis and Kornilios Kastoriadis to be internationally recognised, in one rare occassion when the great Greek philosopher happened to agree with the politician from Crete, or finally the state of Albanian Slav Macedonians which would be the most correct), is ripped apart again lately by the intense civil clash of the Slavs and Albanians, which could cause the state’s brake up.

More particularly, the circle of violence amongst the ethnic groups of Slavs and Albanians which never closed definitely since June 2001, when it ‘expired’ by the alleged NATO ‘intervention’, has dangerously opened again since about mid April 2012, when five Skopjans were murdered by Albanian nationals of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Some time later, when the police authorities of Skopje arrested 20 suspects for this odious crime, which took place on Holy Thursday in Smilkovci, protests followed by members of the Albanian community, who requested the innocent prisoners’ release while shouting “death to the Christians” and smashed windows of the government building with rocks, and violent protests of Slav Skopjans as well who claimed for justice. Since then the situation in Skopje remains extremely unsettled.

So, despite the decision of the International Court of Justice in Hague, which has recently vindicated the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, ruling with an overwhelming majority (15-1) that Greece violated the Intermediate Agreement because of the veto it put on the inclusion of the neighbour state in the Alliance at the Nato Summit of April 2008, the USA stated via their Minister for Foreign Affairs Hillary Clinton that “We strongly support a resolution of the ongoing name dispute and urge the parties to reach an agreement so Macedonia can join the alliance as soon as possible”.

In other words, the recent USA message concerning the Skopje inclusion in NATO in Chicago Summit, coded in the polite diplomatic language, which unexpectedly gladdened the Greek side, isn’t linked that much with the understanding of the Greek side’s positions, but much more with the ethnically unsettled and hence geopolitically uncertain situation that prevails at present in the neighbour country.

Finally, whether the suggested name “Albanian Slav Macedonia” can constitute the key to a bloodless and peaceful solution of both our chronic problems with the neighbour country and its very serious internal conflicts, it will be examined in another article.

Παράθυρα Λογοτεχνίας για Νέους

Intellectum 10

[
Menu