In his Working Paper Ambassador (retired) Alexandros Mallias analyses the perspectives for improving the relations between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the day after the formation of a new Government in Skopje. Alexandros Mallias, who was first Head of Mission of Greece to Skopje, 1995-1999, suggests that the two governments should not raise high expectations. They should work to enhance and expand the Confidence Building Measures’ Process and rather opti for a quiet diplomacy on the name issue He stresses that fYROM’s 1991 Constitution is a bad one ,being the root cause of problems with its neighbors as well as of the endemic interethnic conflict. It was already amended 30 (thirty) times within 15 years. He is of the opinion that there are still some extra miles to go.
Mallias, former Ambassador to Albania, analyses the Political Declaration of the Albanian Leaders in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, stressing its importance for addressing the inter-ethnic tensions between Slavs and Albanians and for solving the name issue with Greece.
Mallias, who also served as Ambassador of Greece to Washington (2005-2009), stresses that early -since 2007- Greece’s warnings, grievances and reactions to former P.M. Gruevski’s irredentism, nationalism and provocations proved now to be accurate and right. Yet, the former Prime Minister was not alone in this course of action. He was supported by those in Skopje who today disapprove him ,including some international actors. Greece will wait to see if the words of the new government in Skopje will be matched by deeds. Nationalism is still omnipresent in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia starting from school textbooks.