Greece Protests Over Macedonia’s Triumphal Arch

Greece has sent a demarche to neighboring Macedonia in protest at what it says are Greek motifs and irredentist content depicted on the newly opened triumphal arch in Skopje.

Sinisa Jakov Marusic

Skopje

Photo by: Balkan Insight

On Thursday afternoon, the head of the Greek Liaison Office in Skopje, Ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulou, handed the demarche to the Macedonian Foreign Ministry.

Greece says that the arch contains marble reliefs of the Vergina sun as well as “scenes of irredentist nature”. The arch was unveiled in central Skopje earlier this month by Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

The sun symbol, representing a stylized star with sixteen rays, is linked to the ancient kingdom of Macedonia that stretched throughout the current territories of both Greece and Macedonia. The sun is one of many historic figures and symbols claimed by both states.

“Such actions, apart from violating the [1995 UN brokered] Interim Accord and the principle of good neighbourly relations - an essential precondition for the neighbouring country’s European perspective - are also dangerous and constitute a threat to the stability of the Balkan region,” Greece stated in its protest.

Athens called upon Macedonia to undertake “corrective measures” and scrap the disputed scenes.

Macedonia used the same Vergina Sun on its flag in the early 1990s, but following an 18 month-long Greek trade embargo it was forced to change the symbol in 1995. In the wake of the embargo, both sides formalized bilateral relations in an UN guaranteed Interim Accord.

Relations between Macedonia and Greece are still strained, however, owing to the two-decades-long row over Macedonia's name. Citing the unresolved issue, Greece has blocked Macedonia’s progress towards both EU and NATO membership.

Greece insists that use of the term "Macedonia" by its neighbour implies a territorial claim to its own northern province of the same name.

Last summer Greek officials strongly condemned Macedonia’s move to erect a giant statue of Alexander in the heart of the capital as “provocative” and “retrograde”. Alexander's origin is also contested by both parties.

The latest demarche comes just one day after Macedonian Vice Prime Minister Teuta Arifi and her Greek counterpart, Theodoros Pangalos, meet on Wednesday in Athens in a move to revive moribund talks on the 'name' dispute.

Among other formalities, Arifi handed over a letter from PM Gruevski in which he reaffirms his wish for a direct meeting with his Greek counterpart Lucas Papademos.