Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 18 June 2018

Border lake backdrops sealing of Greece, Macedonia name deal

By COSTAS KANTOURIS dards."
JASMINA MIRONSKI "I do not care about the
PSARADES, Greece (AP) name any more. I am so
— The foreign ministers of disappointed about every-
Greece and Macedonia thing that I have stopped
endorsed an agreement to thinking and caring," he
resolve a long fight over the said.
Macedonia name Sunday A demonstration against
during a signing ceremony the deal attracted an es-
filled with history and sym- timated 3,000 people in
bolism. the southern city of Bitola,
The Greek village of Psa- Macedonian media re-
rades, located on the ported.
shores of Great Prespa The rally was peaceful, but
Lake, was picked for the opposition leader Hristi-
occasion since the borders jan Mickoski of the VMRO-
of Greece and Macedonia DPMNE party, the keynote
meet in the water. speaker, used fighting
The two countries' prime words. He reiterated that
ministers, Greece's Alexis his party would not support
Tsipras and Macedonia's putting the new name in
Zoran Zaev, were there to the Macedonian constitu-
see the deal they reached Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, right and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, signing tion, one of the terms of the
Tuesday get signed by their agreement for Macedonia's new name in the village of Psarades, Prespes Greece, on Sunday, deal.
foreign ministers, Nikos Kot- June 17, 2018. "I, Hristijan Mickoski, speak-
zias and Nikola Dimitrov, re- Associated Press ing from the heart and
spectively. with a clear mind..., never,
Macedonians Zaev and dispute between our coun- More than 4,000 Greek na- Hajiefremidis. "They are at any price, even if that
Dimitrov arrived from across tries." tionalists, who oppose an- taking from us our soul, our would cost (my) life, will I
the lake on a small speed- "This is our own appoint- other country having the name." support this act of capitula-
boat. Their Greek counter- ment with history," Tsipras Macedonia name, instead Hajiefremidis noted the tion by Zoran Zaev," Mick-
parts welcomed them with said, adding that Balkan gathered near Pissoderi, ethnic and religious con- oski told the protesters.
hugs on a jetty that was en- peoples long have suffered a village 40 kilometers (25 flicts that generations of A nighttime demonstra-
larged for the event. from "the poison of chau- miles) away. Banners in Greeks, Serbs and Bulgar- tion outside Macedonia's
Under the agreement, vinism and the divisions of the crowd read "There is ians fought over the land parliament in the capital
Greece's northern neigh- nationalist hatred." only one Macedonia and that makes up present-day of Skopje turned violent
bor will be renamed North Zaev, for his part, hailed an it is Greek" and "Macedo- Macedonia. when a group of people
Macedonia to address "end to decades of uncer- nian identity can't be given "Today, we commemorat- described by police and
longstanding appropriation tainty." Greece and Mace- away." ed Father George Papa- media as soccer hooligans
concerns in Greece, which donia would henceforth Several hundred marched dopoulos, who was butch- started pelting officers with
has a Macedonia province be "partners and allies" in to a nearby police block- ered on June 16, 1907 be- rocks and flares and tried
that was the birthplace of modeling successful diplo- ade and began throwing cause he did not say Mass to break through the police
Alexander the Great. macy for the whole region, rocks. Police responded in Bulgarian," he said. cordon. Police used tear
Greece in return will sus- he said. with tear gas and stun gre- Feelings run as strongly in gas and stun grenades to
pend the objections that "May we stay as united for- nades. The clashes went on Macedonia, but there are beat back the crowd and
prevented Macedonia ever as we are on this day," into the afternoon. Greek wide differences of opin- detained one person. Sev-
from joining NATO and the Zaev said. police said 12 people were ion. en police officers and three
European Union. Following the signing, the injured, including six police "I didn't follow the signing. protesters were reported in-
The two countries' leaders officials took a boat to the officers. Follow what? The capitula- jured as the atmosphere re-
said the signing would be Macedonian lake resort of Church bells in Psarades tion? The vanishing of my mained tense late Sunday.
the start of closer relations Oteshevo for a celebratory and nearby villages rang identity?" retired doctor The signing ceremony was
between them and an ex- lunch. sorrowfully throughout the Vera Jovanov said. "I didn't recognized internation-
ample for all nations in the Police cordoned off all ap- ceremony. Most of the get their approval to be ally as a significant event.
Balkans region. proaches to Psarades to village's 60 inhabitants what I am. Nothing will be Among those attending
Recalling his first meeting prevent protesters from watched from afar, clearly good in the future. Nothing were U.N. Under-Secretary
with Zaev this year at the reaching the site. The in a sour mood. good for Macedonia." for Political Affairs Rose-
World Economic Forum in agreement has aroused "The church bells rang Taxi driver Devan Stojanos- mary di Carlo, EU foreign af-
Davos, Switzerland, Tsipras the fury of nationalists on mournfully because ki said "whatever we are fairs chief Federica Mogh-
told him, "Very few be- both sides who claim, simul- something died today in called," Macedonia's peo- erini and EU Enlargement
lieved we would succeed" taneously, that it gave too Greece," said local Ortho- ple need "a chance for a Commissioner Johannes
in ending "26 years of sterile much to the other side. dox Christian priest Irinaios better life and better stan- Hahn.q