MACEDONIA/U-S (2) (L) BY DAVID GOLLUST/WASHINGTON
DATE=5/17/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-178982
TITLE=MACEDONIA/U-S (L)
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE DEFENSE MINISTER OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF
MACEDONIA HAS APPEALED IN WASHINGTON FOR HELPING IN ENDING THE
GREEK ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF HIS COUNTRY. THE MACEDONIAN MINISTER
-- BLAGOJ HANDZISKI (EDS: PRONOUNCED BLAH'-GOY HAN'-JISKI) -- IS
THE HIGHEST RANKING MEMBER OF HIS GOVERNMENT TO PAY AN OFFICIAL
VISIT TO WASHINGTON. A REPORT FROM V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST.
TEXT: THE MACEDONIAN DEFENSE CHIEF SAYS THE GREEK BLOCKADE IS
COSTING HIS COUNTRY MORE THAN 600-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR -- A
QUARTER OF ITS ENTIRE GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT. AND HE WARNS THAT
THE RESULTING ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IS EXACERBATING ETHNIC TENSIONS
IN HIS COUNTRY THAT COULD CAUSE THE BALKANS CONFLICT TO SPREAD
SOUTHWARD.
GREECE IMPOSED THE EMBARGO TO UNDERSCORE ITS OBJECTIONS TO THE
NEWLY INDEPENDENT COUNTRY'S USE OF THE NAME MACEDONIA, THE DESIGN
OF ITS FLAG, AND LANGUAGE IN ITS CONSTITUTION -- ALL OF WHICH,
ACCORDING TO GREECE, INFRINGES ON ITS CULTURAL HERITAGE AND
IMPLIES AMBITIONS BY THE SKOPJE GOVERNMENT ON THE NORTHWESTERN
GREEK REGION OF MACEDONIA.
MR. HANDZISKI, AT A NEWS CONFERENCE, SAID HIS COUNTRY, WITH
MILITARY FORCES ONE-TENTH THE SIZE OF THOSE OF GREECE, DOES NOT
HAVE AND COULD NOT HAVE TERRITORIAL DESIGNS AGAINST THAT COUNTRY.
HEARD THROUGH AN INTERPRETER, HE APPEALED FOR U-S HELP IN
ARRANGING TALKS WITH GREECE -- AND SAID ALL ISSUES WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE NAME MACEDONIA WOULD BE ON THE TABLE:
///HANDZISKI (INTERPERETER) ACT///
THE PROBLEM OF THE NAME COULD NOT FALL UNDER ANY
DISCUSSION. YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE INDENTITY OF A SINGLE
PERSON -- LET ALONE OF A WHOLE NATION. ALL THE OTHER
PROBLEMS WITHIN THE DISPUTE WITH GREECE ARE SOLVABLE
WITHIN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
///END ACT///
MR. HANDZISKI HELD PENTAGON TALKS EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH THE
DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM PERRY ON THE BALKANS CRISIS, AND ON THE
AMERICAN-LED U-N OBSERVER FORCE THAT HAS BEEN STATIONED IN
MACEDONIA FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
HE SAID THE FORCE, WHICH INCLUDES ABOUT 550 U-S TROOPS, HAS BEEN
ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SUCH DEPLOYMENTS IN UNITED NATIONS
HISTORY -- BUT HE SAID IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE EXPANDED, IF THE
FIGHTING IN BOSNIA AND CROATIA CONTINUES TO ESCALATE:
///SECOND HANDZISKI ACT ///
WE FOLLOW CLOSELY THE SITUATION UP NORTH. AND IT'S VERY
CLEAR THAT SHOULD A DRASTIC CHANGE OF THE SITUATION UP
NORTH OCCUR, THE PRESENT MANDATE WILL HAVE TO BE
RECONSIDERED. AND IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE PEACE AND
STABILITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, IT WILL BE
NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE MANDATE, THE COMPOSITION AND THE
SIZE OF THE FORCES.
///END ACT ///
THE DEFENSE MINISTER URGED THE UNITED STATES TO GRANT HIS COUNTRY
FULL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, SAYING THAT WOULD BE OF VITAL
IMPORTANCE TO MACEDONIA'S FUTURE STABILITY AND AN IMPORTANT
SIGNAL TO ITS NEIGHBORS.
PRESIDENT CLINTON RECOGNIZED THE COUNTRY IN 1993. BUT THE UNITED
STATES HAS WITHHELD SENDING AN AMBASSADOR TO SKOPJE PENDING
PROGRESS ON THE VARIOUS ISSUES OF DISPUTE WITH GREECE. (SIGNED)
NEB/DAG/LTJ/GPT
17-May-95 2:24 PM EDT (1824 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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