Ekathimerini (Greek) website reports today (March 11, 2010) that Washington has informed Greek prime Minister George Papandreou that it will back an effort by Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to settle their name dispute by agreeing on "Northern Macedonia" as the name of the former Yugoslav province.
Papandreou, who is wrapping up a visit to the USA, was told by White House officials that if Athens and Skopje (the capital of FYROM) can agree to Northern Macedonia as a resolution to their disagreement, then Washington will immediately adopt this name in dealing with Greece's neighbor.
As is the case with Greece, most of FYROM's population (about 65 percent) is Eastern Orthodox; however, there has been much friction between these two countries since 1991, when FYROM became an independent nation following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Greece has been very opposed to the name FYROM because FYROM borders on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. By using the name FYROM, many Greeks believe that it may want to take control of the Greek province by the same name, in addition to taking credit for Macedonia's historical prominence. Consequently, Greece has blocked FYROM's admission into the European Union and NATO.
The fact is that Macedonia in northern Greece was the birthplace of Alexander the Great (356-323BC) who conquered all of the known world during the Golden Age of Greece. Several months ago, FYROM agreed to build a huge statue of Alexander the Great that will be located in the center of Skopje, FYROM's capital. To many people, this seems strange, since Alexander the Great was of Greek descent, not Yugoslavian.
Hopefully, the name Northern Macedonia will be agreed upon quickly by Greece and FYROM, so that these neighbors will maintain a long harmonious Christian-loving relationship.
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The Periclean Age or the "Golden Age of Pericles," extended from 480-450 B.C., well before the age of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) and his so called world conquest. It is doubtful that the name of "Northern Macedonia" in the place of FYROM will be an occasion for the Albanian province to desist from the practice of encroaching upon the historical Greekness of Alexander and his legacy. Alexander once competed and lost in the Olympian Games, a privilege strictly reserved for men of Greek ancestry. Fr. Peter G.Rizos, Ph.D.
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