STATE DEPARTAMENT: US expect no changes of Macedonia's border

Washington, December 3 (MIA) - The United States doesn't expect any change of the Balkan borders in the future, State Department's Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood told journalists in Washington. He was responding to a Greek journalist, who asked him to comment the statement of former CIA analyst Steven Meyer, who considers that Macedonia's borders are not settled and may be redrawn. The US State Department doesn't support such statements and expects no changes of the Balkan borders, Wood, said.

Our policy in regard to Macedonia is well known and has not changed, Wood said Daily Press

BriefingRobert Wood, Deputy SpokesmanWashington, DCDecember 2, 2008

Mr. Lambros PAPANTONIOU.
QUESTION: On the Balkans. Mr. Wood, Steven Meyer, former CIA analyst, DOS advisor and professor at the National Defense University here in Washington, D.C., stated in an interview (inaudible), quote, “Macedonian Albanians should decide where they want to live. They are (inaudible). The borders of Macedonia are not settled and they can be redrawn.” I am wondering if that is your policy behind the scenes.

MR. WOOD: No, you know what our policy is with regard to Macedonia, Mr. Lambros. I don’t have any – it has not changed.

QUESTION: Now, Professor Meyer also said, quote, “If the Albanians in Macedonia’s western part believe that (inaudible) with Albania proper is still strong, and if they want to act on this, they should do so. Why not vote for independence or some kind of union with Albania or Kosovo?” Do you have any comment?

MR. WOOD: I don’t have anything to say on that, Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: And the last one to this effect?

MR. WOOD: Yes.

QUESTION: But almost similar to this, on November 25th, Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried, talking to us on upcoming NATO ministerial meeting, stated, quote, “But nobody in the Balkans is going to be changing their geography anytime soon.” Do you expect, as Department of State, change in the Balkans borders sometime in the future?

MR. WOOD: No, Mr. Lambros, I don’t.
Right here.