FYROM PM Gruevski in Australia states territorial intentions against Greece
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council
October 26, 2009
FYROM Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has had his first 'slip up' in Australia. A bizzare comment made before members of Slav-Macedonian community of Australia implied territorial intentions against Greece and Bulgaria.
Mr. Gruevski said "Here in Australia, the Macedonians have the unique opportunity to live altogether as one; the Aegean Macedonians and the Pirinian Macedonians. That doesn't happen in your mother country".
"Aegean Macedonia" is a term used by some Slav Macedonian nationalists to refer to the Greek region of Macedonia, while "Pirin Macedonia" refers to what is now South Western Bulgaria. Therefore, Gruevski was implicitly speaking of his regret that there does not exist a unified 'Greater Macedonia', including Greek and Bulgarian territory.
Given that there is a number of people in his country with roots in Greece and Bulgaria (he himself has a grandfather from Greece) his statements are thought to leave little room for misinterpretation.
Gruevski is often accused by Greeks of being a hardline nationalist and harbouring irredentist claims on Greek territory.
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC)
info@macedonian.com.au
www.macedonian.com.au
info@macedonian.com.au
http://www.macedonian.com.au/forum
Mr. Gruevski said "Here in Australia, the Macedonians have the unique opportunity to live altogether as one; the Aegean Macedonians and the Pirinian Macedonians. That doesn't happen in your mother country".
"Aegean Macedonia" is a term used by some Slav Macedonian nationalists to refer to the Greek region of Macedonia, while "Pirin Macedonia" refers to what is now South Western Bulgaria. Therefore, Gruevski was implicitly speaking of his regret that there does not exist a unified 'Greater Macedonia', including Greek and Bulgarian territory.
Given that there is a number of people in his country with roots in Greece and Bulgaria (he himself has a grandfather from Greece) his statements are thought to leave little room for misinterpretation.
Gruevski is often accused by Greeks of being a hardline nationalist and harbouring irredentist claims on Greek territory.
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council (AMAC)
info@macedonian.com.au
www.macedonian.com.au
info@macedonian.com.au
http://www.macedonian.com.au/forum
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