Greece is Afraid of the Truth about Macedonia

Translated from Macedonian to English and edited by Risto Stefov

No one can negate the Macedonian identity, stressed Prime Minister Gruevski at Trnovo.
“The Republic of Macedonia steals no one’s historical past. Our state, like the parts of Macedonia in Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, and parts of Kosovo in Serbia are parts of the ethnic map of Macedonia. That is why this state has full rights to call itself the Republicof Macedonia and its people Macedonians. Greece is afraid of the truth. Truth and justice may sometimes be tardy but they are always victorious.”
This was the message given to the Macedonians who were gathered in the “Macedonians from all borders” gathering held in the village Trnovo. Guests and participants at this gathering included members of Vinozhito from Greece, OMO Ilinden Pirin fromBulgaria, the Alliance for European Integration from Albania and other organizations from neighbouring countries. The gathering was hosted by the Union of Ethnic Macedonians Evicted from Greece.
This was the first time a Macedonian prime minister addressed the Macedonians from Greece and Bulgaria.
“No one can negate the Macedonians. No one can make us stop, leave or not feel like Macedonians. The more they oppress and negate us, the more they demean and not recognize us the more we strengthen the Macedonian resolve in us”, said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
For the first time united, the Macedonian exiles tried to turn world attention to their neglect for human rights and desire to return home to their birthplace and reclaim their properties. In this time of unity, the exiled Macedonians from Greece made a plea to Macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia and the world over, to unite, strengthen and be closer to Europe. They also appealed to all Euro-Parliamentarians to create the necessary conditions for the recognition of the Republic of Macedonia by its constitutional name and with that name to soon allow Macedonia to enter the European Union and NATO as an equal partner.
A resolution was also read rejecting the Greek Mayors’ request from the European Parliament to not recognize the existence of the Republic of Macedonia.
“This government will work hard to ensure Macedonia’s entry into the European Union and into NATO” promised Gruevski and will make sure conditions are created for opening the border and making sure the same rights are enjoyed by all people regardless of where they are. “This will be a place where we can be a state without borders, a state where people do not feel like second class citizens, where people are not prohibited from crossing some border because of their name or because of some other thing that violates their human rights”, said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister also spoke about his Government’s initiatives in the economic sector and improvements made to the business climate, especially the reduction of taxes and the streamlining of bureaucratic procedures. “We are working to attract domestic and foreign investors to come and create new opportunities in Macedonia. The Government is striving to create something to improve the standards of living for its citizens, to enrich the quality of life and to stamp out corruption and the criminal element” said Gruevski and concluded that these important objectives will be realized and Macedonia will become a better place to live.
Among the two-thousand or so participants in this gathering, there was optimism that politics will change for the better in the neighbouring states.
“Here I find the refugee children who left Greece to save themselves. Now they are aged adults who have come to Trnovo to tell the world that they have endured much but are determined to return to their birthplace and are waiting for Europe to solve this problem. I believe this will be the last such gathering in the Republic of Macedonia and that in the future Greece, Bulgaria and the others will change their political attitudes towards us and such gatherings can be accommodated in those countries” said Archimandrite Nikodim Tsarknias.
The organizer of this gathering, Aleksandar Popovski from the Union of Ethnic Macedonians evicted from Greece, reported that their twenty-first gathering will begin in front of the United Nations where they will request from the Greek Government that they be allowed to enter Greece freely and without any obstacles. More then 400,000 ethnic Macedonians have been expelled from Greecefrom 1913 to 1950. Their properties are confiscated and they are not allowed to return.
“Greece does not want the Macedonians, especially their language” said Andon Shekrevski, member of Vinozhito. “If the evicted Macedonians are given back their Greek citizenship and allowed to participate in elections, then Vinozhito will become the third or fourth major party in Greece. But, when Macedonia joins the European Union and NATO, then Greece will have to open the borders for us.” said Shekrevski.
(S.T.G.)

http://netpress.com.mk/vest.asp?id=6009&kategorija=3
Netpress - June 3rd, 2007