I. SOFIAECHO - Macedonia name dispute raised in UN debate
The dispute between Athens and Skopje about the use of the name Macedonia has been raised by leaders from the two countries in speeches and meetings at the United Nations General Assembly. On September 28 2010, Greek foreign minister Dimitrios Droutsas said in a speech to the UN General Assembly that Athens was ready to reach a solution "as early as tomorrow" on the long-standing dispute. Greece objects to Skopje’s use of the name "Republic of Macedonia" as historically inappropriate and, given that Greece has a northern province called Macedonia, says that Skopje could exploit the use of the name for its own country to reinforce its territorial claims in Greece. Droutsas told the General Assembly: "This is not a bilateral, pedantic dispute about historical symbols, as some may try to portray it, but a regional question, with deep historical roots, related to good neighbourliness," the UN News Service said. "In order to reach a compromise on the name issue, the two sides must meet in the middle by taking reciprocal steps to bridge the gap and reconcile their conflicting positions," Droutsas said, emphasising that "Greece has already done its part". He said that a fair and durable solution for the name requires a geographic qualifier. "Macedonia is a large geographic region, most of which lies in Greece," with a small part in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and a smaller section in Bulgaria, Droutsas said. He called on prime minister Nikola Gruevski, the prime minister in Skopje, to "display leadership and become our partner for progress". The country must focus on finding a solution, rather than "creating [an] atmosphere of antagonism or even animosity and of avoiding taking responsibilities," Droutsas said. "Greece is extending a hand of friendship and co-operation," he said. "The time has come for our neighbours to take this hand." On September 24, Macedonian president Gjorge Ivanov told the General Assembly that he was hopeful that agreement can be reached with neighbouring over the name issue. Ivanov said that he had met Greek prime minister George Papandreou on September 23 at UN Headquarters in New York with the aim of "building a climate of mutual trust and understanding." "I hope that, as two neighbouring countries that have lived and will live with one another, we will be able to find a mutually acceptable solution," Ivanov told the Assembly debate, according to the UN News Service "It will be a big step for us, but a huge step towards fulfilling the common vision for our whole region. "I must tell you that I am encouraged with the situation in the region. The more intensive [the] communication and cooperation, the better [the] understanding and respect," Ivanov said. On September 27, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks with Macedonian foreign minister Antonio Milososki, discussing the Macedonia name dispute.
II. POLITICO - Cyprus solution seems unlikely in 2010
With U.N.-backed negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus at an impasse, a solution may not come before the end of the year, Republic of Cyprus President Demetris Christofias said during a visit this week to Washington. In an interview with POLITICO, Christofias -- leader of the internationally recognized Greek government of the island -- said that he felt a “lack of goodwill” on the part of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership in negotiating reunification. The main sticking point in the talks which began in 2008 is over how to resolve property issues left over from the 1974 Turkish invasion that divided the island. Some 35,000 Turkish troops still occupy the northern third in defiance of U.N. resolutions. The region calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but only Turkey recognizes it. Christofias’s skepticism contrasted with the words of Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, who told Reuters earlier in September that talks right now should be seen as a “last chance,” and that a solution is to be found “by the end of 2010.” United Nations special envoy for Cyprus Alexander Downer also expressed hope Tuesday that a deal could be brokered by the end of the year. “Eroglu says strange things,” Christofias said when asked about the Turkish Cypriot leader’s concern that Greek Cypriots must “share pain” and make concessions along with Turkish Cypriots in negotiations. “Eroglu must not speak about concessions, he must speak about reasonable moves in order to meet the needs of the Greek Cypriots -- not only of the Turkish Cypriots. I think a leader who states that he wants a solution in 2010 has to be reasonable, he has to take into account the international law and the human rights of the whole people of Cyprus," he said. “The property issue is a very difficult one, its very complicated, in fact if we could find common language on this issue, we shall move forward substantively, but he refuses to connect this aspect with territorial adjustments.” Christofias also said he would like to see Turkish troops leave the island as a gesture of commitment. “If they want to show good will, they could make a move ... they don’t unfortunately.” There are also some concerns about how the peace process could be affected by Greek Cypriot parliamentary elections and elections in Turkey next year. “I want to assure you that our elections wouldn’t affect [the peace process], because I am ready if Turkey is to move forward, but I feel that the Turkish elections could be affected,” Chrisiofias told POLITICO.
III. EUROPEANVOICE - NATO chief urges EU to give Turkey security role
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of NATO, has called on the European Union to give Turkey a role in the Union's security policy. He said that NATO and the EU had to find pragmatic ways to improve their co-operation. Under his proposals, the EU would conclude a security agreement with Turkey, give Turkey special status with the European Defence Agency, and involve it in decision-making on EU security missions. Fogh Rasmussen told European Voice that such measures were required to overcome the chief obstacle to closer EU-NATO co-operation, the division of Cyprus. NATO member Turkey has been occupying the northern third of the island since 1974, but the rest of Cyprus became part of the EU in 2004. Fogh Rasmussen said that because of mutual vetoes by Cyprus in the EU and Turkey in NATO, co-operation between the two organisations was hamstrung. “We are in the absurd situation that the only issue we are allowed to discuss in formal joint EU-NATO meetings is Bosnia,” he said. A special arrangement was found for co-operation between NATO headquarters and the EU missions in Macedonia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the arrangement does not apply to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Somalia where both organisations have separate missions. With prospects for a Cyprus settlement receding, pressure for a more permanent mechanism to allow strategic co-operation is growing. Fogh Rasmussen is preparing for a NATO summit in Lisbon on 19-20 November, at which he will present his strategic concept for NATO. “It is my intention to make an EU-NATO partnership an important part of the strategic concept,” he said. “If we are to put substance into that, then we need some progress on the ground, and this is the reason why I have accompanied the strategic concept with more pragmatic proposals as to how we could overcome the obstacles,” Fogh Rasmussen said. The NATO summit, which will be attended by US President Barack Obama, will be followed by an EU-US summit. The US has been urging its European allies to work more closely on defence matters with Turkey.
IV. NEWSER - Pakistan Blocks NATO Supply Route
Pakistan blocked a major NATO supply line into Afghanistan today, in apparent retaliation for a cross-border helicopter attack. A pair of NATO helicopters opened fire on a border village in Pakistan’s Kurram region this morning, killing three Frontiers Corps troops, Pakistani security tells Reuters. Within hours, roughly 100 NATO trucks were lined up waiting to cross the border, the AP reports. NATO says it is investigating the incident. “We will have to see whether we are allies or enemies,” Pakistan’s Interior minister said of the attack, without mentioning the blockade. But a senior security official confirmed that supplies have been stopped. “It has been done locally,” he said. The blockade, which has the potential to cripple the Afghan war effort, marks a new high in US-Pakistani tensions, and comes just as CIA chief Leon Panetta arrived in Pakistan for a previously planned meeting with the head of the ISI.
V. RIANOVOSTI - Russia, U.S. to sign child adoption deal by year end
Russia and the United States are likely to sign a child adoption agreement by the end of 2010, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday. "The text of the Russian-U.S. agreement on cooperation in international adoptions, intended to provide solid guarantees of adopted children's rights, was agreed upon during the bilateral consultations in July," Andrei Nesterenko told journalists in Moscow. He said a final round of consultations, after which the document will be ready for signing, is expected to take place before the end of the year. Russia is one of the largest sources of adoptions for U.S. families, accounting for about 10 percent of foreign adoptions. The mistreatment of Russian children, adopted in the United States, has begun attracting public attention in recent months as a result of a number of highly publicized incidents. In June, a 7-year-old boy who was placed alone on a one-way flight to Moscow by his U.S. adoptive mother with a note claiming he was "psychopathic." Following the case, Russia threatened to prohibit child adoptions by U.S. citizens until the countries sign an intergovernmental agreement guaranteeing the rights of adoptive children.
VI. STRIPES - Congress approves Veterans Benefits Act
In one of their last moves before heading into the pre-election recess, House lawmakers last night passed the Veterans Benefits Act of 2010, which includes a host of changes to VA programs and updates concerning the rights of deployed active duty troops. The White House is expected to sign the measure into law in coming days. The bill is a compromise measure between the House and Senate which encompasses a number of smaller, stand-alone veterans benefits bills. It includes improvements to employment programs, homeless outreach efforts, disabled veterans assistance and research into future medical needs of returning troops. Here's a look at some of the highlights: -- Prohibits early termination fees for certain contracts (like cell phone service and residential leases) after troops receive orders to relocate. -- Reauthorizes a recently expired VA work-study program, and expand the type of work available for participating veterans. -- Requires the VA to verify to operate a database of veteran-owned small businesses and service-connected veteran-owned small businesses. -- Authorizes $10 million more to provide dedicated services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children. -- Allows 100 percent disabled veterans to receive free Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage for two years following separation from active or reserve duty. -- Increases the automobile allowance for disabled veterans from $11,000 to $18,900. -- Allows parents whose child died while on active duty to be buried in a national cemetery with that child. -- Instructs the Institute of Medicine to carry out a comprehensive review of best treatment practices for chronic multi-symptom illness in Gulf War veterans.
Serbian Patriarch Irinej stated on Wednesday that peace is in the interest of the Church and the time we live in. He spoke in favor of negotiations between Belgrade and Priština, but in such a way that would satisfy both Serbs and ethnic Albanians. "We wish that there is dialogue between representatives of Serbia and the self-styled authorities in Kosovo, that there are talks that will attempt to reach the most just solution," the patriarch stated. Such a solution, according to the head of the Orthodox Serb Christians, who will be enthroned at the seat of the Church in Kosovo on Sunday, should not see Serbs lose everything and Albanians gain everything. "I am speaking for myself and on behalf of the Church, we will never and under any circumstances renounce Kosovo, and a just solution would be a gift from God both for us and them (ethnic Albanians). Any other solution, especially one absolutely detrimental for Serbia, would represent a permanent source of discord that will bring nothing but a potential for what nobody wants to see in the future," he warned. He said that his official enthronement is a spiritual and religious ceremony of immense significance, and expressed his belief that everyone will contribute so that it be held in peace and order. "We want to show what the Patriarchate of Peć means to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serb people, and what the ceremony represents for the life of the Church. We therefore hope that everything will go as we have planned and as wish it to be. We hope that the ones engaged in the matter of Kosovo-Metohija will also understand this," the Patriarch said in an interview for Tanjug. The patriarch, however, admitted that he is somewhat concerned. "Having in mind the many (unfortunate) events of the past, we have reason to be somewhat concerned. That is why we would like that conditions be provided for the Serbian people to come without any difficulty or incidents, so that the enthronement could be carried out in perfect peace and order," he said. The patriarch described himself as a pacifist who holds ecumenical values and said he would welcome the visit of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church to Serbia, but that the invitation must come from the Assembly of the Holy Synod of the SPC. Speaking about the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch told Tanjug that this is still a deep wound which was inflicted on the Serbian Church, and qualified the split as a the result of political moves premeditated by the communists who wanted to separate two close peoples. After lengthy talks in the 1960s, it was decided that autonomy be given to the Macedonian Orthodox Church within the canonical unity of the SPC. As for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which has not been canonized, the patriarch said that this is "no church, but rather a breakaway church community" which has its own leader. "They were all (Montenegrin Church) deprived of their status before turning into what they are now, since Metropolitan Mihailo was defrocked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople," Irinej recalled, adding that a breakaway group can hardly constitute a church. "The Montenegrin authorities support such a community, which does not do them credit and which speaks volumes of a deviant situation they will be ashamed of one day, but this is the way things stand," the Patriarch stated.