FYROM press: Name dispute, security

The name dispute and concerns about country’s security are the front-burner topics in the Macedonian press on Saturday.

Macedonia should not wait for Greek initiative in the name issue but rather use all means it has to solve the dispute, said Rosa Balfour, senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, Vecer daily reports.
“Macedonia should really focus on what the citizens want because they cannot stand this uncertainty. It should also be aware of the fact that this uncertainty creates negative consequences for the country and tension between the two ethnic communicates,” Balfour remarked.

“We know that the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia is political and bilateral issue, but the nature of the process itself is also very important. That is why we think that it should be solved as soon as possible,” said French ambassador to Skopje Jean-Claude Schlumberger in interview to Dnevnik daily.
In his words, there is a need for all forces and means to be united in the name of the European integration so as Macedonia to become a member of the EU and NATO through some normal and correct political dialog.

Schlumberger also expressed his concerns about country’s security.
“With regard to the latest incident, there is some concern about the amount of weapons found by police. The information provided by Macedonian authorities shows that there is some concern. What makes us meeker is the fact that all countries condemned the violence,” Schlumberger added.

Utrinski Vesnik also puts focus on country’s security and the police operation in which huge amount of weapons was found.
“Who is shooting in Macedonia after the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement and what made the inter-ethnic relations turn into a threat for country’s security,” journalist Alexandra M. Mitevska writes.
“The war of words between the ruling parties and the opposition over who was plotting destabilization in the country and who is acting unscrupulously raised the tension even more after police found the hidden weapons close to the border to Kosovo and the attempts to revive the myth of the National Liberation Army,” the article reads.

“It is important for Macedonia to be united over the name dispute and the solution of open issues of ethnic-religious nature, which remain unsolved even in countries with stronger democratic tradition,” Daut Dauti writes in an article published in Dnevnik daily.
“We all share the ‘fog’ that fell over us after some of the police operations, in which authorities found huge amount of weapons, which definitely are not aimed to express one’s joy at wedding parties. All public figures have been ‘bombarded’ with questions like “What does this mean”, “What will happen…” The international community is sharing our concern, too. Meanwhile, everyone gave up on the radical scenarios. The comparison to 2001 comes naturally,” Dauti writes.