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Greek protesters clash with police after Macedonia name deal

PISODERI: Greek protesters today clashed with riot police, who beat them back with tear gas after a historic Greek-Macedonian deal to end a 27-year name row.

A woman was hit on the head by a rock, and a man was being treated for breathing trouble, health officials said. Some 500 demonstrators, waving Greek flags, had tried to approach the signing ceremony on the banks of Lake Prespa on the other side of the mountain from where the protest took place. But they were surrounded by police near the small village of Pisoderi, some 25 kilometres (16 miles) away from the ceremony.

One detachment of riot police blocked the rural road leading to the lake, while others on mountain slopes threw stun grenades and tear gas at the crowd. The authorities said some 5,000 people had earlier taken part in the protest against the agreement. “We are fighting for the land of our fathers. We are not backing down,” a protester said. While the demonstration took place, the foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia signed a preliminary accord to rename the country the Republic of North Macedonia, a move hailed by the European Union, the United Nations and NATO.

A relevant piece published earlier: One of the world’s longest – and arguably most arcane – diplomatic disputes could move a step closer to being resolved today when the foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia signed a preliminary accord on the latter’s name. Ending a dispute that began 27 years ago, but the roots of which date back centuries, Greece’s Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov of Macedonia will meet at the Prespes Lake district to sign the historic accord, brokered after months of diplomatic haggling. Joining them will be Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev, as well as officials from the United Nations and the European Union, who have welcomed the move. The delegations will sign the agreement on the Greek side of the border before crossing over to the Macedonian side for lunch, Athens said. Tsipras and Zaev last week beat the odds to announce a deal that will see the tiny Balkan state renamed as the Republic of North Macedonia. Since 1991, Athens has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has its own northern province of the same name, which in ancient times was the cradle of Alexander the Great’s empire — a source of intense pride for modern-day Greeks. The two premiers, both in their forties, have bucked strong reactions at home to push ahead with the agreement.  (Published on 17th June 2018) 

 

 

 

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.