[ALBSA-Info] Fears of war in FYROM-Athens expresses concern

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Fears of war in FYROM
Athens expresses concern over situation, NATO will not be drawn in

Kathimerini
Open war between Slav-Macedonians and Albanians in the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) now appears a certainty, and could kindle the 
spark that would lead to a general conflagration in the southern Balkans.

As heavy fighting raged around the town of Tetovo and, according to reports, 
clashes spread to many parts of the country, in Athens the government 
expressed deep concern at events in Greece's tiny northern neighbor.

FYROM Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski phoned his Greek counterpart, Costas 
Simitis, in a renewed appeal for Athens to press NATO to help Skopje.

At the same time, NATO clearly stated that it considers the situation FYROM's 
internal affair, and appears unwilling to deploy outside Kosovo units from 
the KFOR multinational force meant to keep the peace in the occupied Yugoslav 
province.

NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, on a visit to Athens yesterday, said 
the alliance had no mandate to move into FYROM, and did not believe Skopje 
wanted it to do so.

"We are determined that the stability of FYROM is not going to be threatened 
by a small number of extremists who prefer bullets to the ballot votes," he 
said, adding that NATO is planning to send a special envoy to Skopje, to 
ensure that its voice in the area "is heard loud and clear."

Prime Minister Costas Simitis, after a meeting with Robertson, said: "It is 
too early for (the question of NATO military intervention in FYROM) to be 
raised."

The government reiterated its standing position that it will support Skopje 
through political and diplomatic means. Athens insists that the problem 
should be addressed through implementation of United Nations resolutions on 
the disarmament of armed groups in Kosovo, although the government is aware 
that neither Greece nor any other European country is in a position to take 
action against the Albanian rebels.

In an evident effort to bolster morale in Skopje yesterday, Defense Minister 
Akis Tsochadzopoulos and Robertson announced measures for the protection of 
FYROM, which mainly involve tighter controls on the country's border with 
Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians are understood to have been fomenting unrest 
among the FYROM Albanian minority.

Tsochadzopoulos stressed that this would not lead to involvement of Greek 
troops in the crisis. The minister condemned "Albanian nationalist groups," 
called for the international response to the clashes to be "strong and 
effective," and underlined the need for political support for Skopje.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas called for "initiatives to prevent the 
spread of the crisis."