Experts See Enlargement Issue, Not Greece as Problem for Macedonia's EU Bid
Skopje Kanal 5 Television WWW-Text in Macedonian 21 Sep 05
Report by Vladimir Mircevski: "Macedonia Should Fear More the Union's Skepticism About Its Future Enlargement"
Foreign experts and those who are well acquainted with the Balkan developments do not think that Greece will use its right to veto in the EU when Brussels considers the issue of Macedonia's candidate status, implying that the Commission will first give the green light for the membership application.
"The Greeks have no support in the EU institutions for their position on the name issue," Nicholas Whyte, director of the International Crisis Group for the Balkans, has told Kanal 5 Television. In his view, there should be no veto, because this would be a bad gesture on the part of Athens and a big disappointment for Skopje.
Gerald Knaus of the European Stability Initiative thinks along the same lines. According to him, it is not Greece, but certain EU member countries' position that the enlargement should be stalled that poses a problem for Macedonia's EU integration process.
According to Knaus, who is known as an expert in the Turkish issue in the Union, if Brussels initiates negotiations with Ankara, it is very likely that Macedonia will soon obtain the status of a candidate country.
Experts have warned that any change in the Union's policy on its future enlargement will be a bad sign for the Balkan countries, given the issue of resolving the status of Kosovo.
Report by Vladimir Mircevski: "Macedonia Should Fear More the Union's Skepticism About Its Future Enlargement"
Foreign experts and those who are well acquainted with the Balkan developments do not think that Greece will use its right to veto in the EU when Brussels considers the issue of Macedonia's candidate status, implying that the Commission will first give the green light for the membership application.
"The Greeks have no support in the EU institutions for their position on the name issue," Nicholas Whyte, director of the International Crisis Group for the Balkans, has told Kanal 5 Television. In his view, there should be no veto, because this would be a bad gesture on the part of Athens and a big disappointment for Skopje.
Gerald Knaus of the European Stability Initiative thinks along the same lines. According to him, it is not Greece, but certain EU member countries' position that the enlargement should be stalled that poses a problem for Macedonia's EU integration process.
According to Knaus, who is known as an expert in the Turkish issue in the Union, if Brussels initiates negotiations with Ankara, it is very likely that Macedonia will soon obtain the status of a candidate country.
Experts have warned that any change in the Union's policy on its future enlargement will be a bad sign for the Balkan countries, given the issue of resolving the status of Kosovo.