FYROM president rejects ‘erga omnes’ name deal; Athens insists on position
The president of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has rejected a Greek demand that the small Balkan country’s new name be intended for use “erga omnes,” meaning towards all, or both domestically and internationally.
According to the FYROM’s MIA news agency, the office of President Gjorge Ivanov issued an announcement saying that the decision “is based on principles and is also consistent with the position of all the previous presidents of the Republic of Macedonia.”
Responding to the statement, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s office issued its own announcement saying that the Greek government’s position is “succinct and clear.”
“A solution and FYROM’s accession to NATO and the EU requires an agreement for a composite name with a geographical or chronological qualifier that will be enforced towards all and also requires a constitutional review,” the Greek government said, reiterating the demands it has made since the relaunch of United Nations-brokered talks aimed at settling the decades-old dispute and paving the way for FYROM’s induction into the north Atlantic alliance and the European Union.
Ivanov’s announcement came a day after FYROM’s prime minister, Zoran Zaev, said that Skopje and Athens have come to an agreement only “on principal” and that any decisions reached in talks between the leaders of the two countries would be put to a referendum.
