The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Greece-.Fyrom and the ICJ's decision..[ 2553 ]

Greece sees win-and-worry over ICJ's Fyrom-Macedonia decision

07/12/2011
What's in a name? Greece and Macedonia have been arguing since the 1990s.


The Hague-based court ruled that Greece was wrong to veto Macedonia's bid for NATO membership.However  the court did not prevent Greece from exercising its right to block Fyrom with the name Macedonia again,
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By Andy Dabilis for Southeast European Times in Athens -- 07/12/11  
* The 2 charts, 1 additional photo, one note  and the word Fyrom have been  added  in order to make the text more comprehensive.- *
The International Court of Justice's (ICJ) 15-1 finding that Greece was wrong to block Fyrom-Macedonia's entry into NATO in 2008 in a long-running dispute over the country's name has brought some howls of indignation from the Greeks, but also a claim of victory because the court said it would not bar Greece from doing it again.
The name battle, which has dragged on for more than 15 years, since Greece allowed its northern neighbour to adopt the name the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -- derisively known as FYROM in Greece -- is far from being resolved. 

 Although some Greeks fear the court ruling could lead to official recognition of the name Macedonia, to which they fiercely object because Greece's northern abutting province bears the same name Macedonia ("ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ").

blogger's note: France also not accepted UK to enter EU as "Great Britain" bcause a providnce exists already  in France with the name "Bretagne"
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Greece's legal counsel, Maria Telalian, told the court in March that Athens did not break the 1995 interim agreement between the two countries -- which prevented it from blocking Skopje joining international organisations -- but that Fyrom broke the deal when it asked to join under its Republic of Macedonia. 
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The ruling could add weight to Fyrom-Macedonia's protests that Greece is unfairly blocking entry to international bodies, but the court steered clear of that.
George Tzogopoulos, a research fellow at the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, said Fyrom-Macedonian leaders should not gloat yet. 
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"It could be conceived as a victory [for them], but if you read the decision you realise Greece can veto them again," he told SETimes.
He said Greece made a mistake in allowing the word "Macedonia" to be included in the composite acronym, and that the court decision could open the door for total international recognition of that name over Greece's objections.
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While the EU and UN recognise FYROM as the official name, more than 100 countries accept Republic of Macedonia.
Tzogopoulos said that while the court ruling was a split decision that could let Greece bar Fyrom-Macedonia entry into the EU or NATO, it nevertheless creates a dilemma. 
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"Greece has already accepted the word 'Macedonia' to be part of a composite name … now that most countries have started to recognise the constitutional name de facto, they [Macedonia] believe that in a few years everyone will be using that term. They don't want to compromise. There's a lot of pressure on Greece because we don't have many countries on our side now." 
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Greece wants a geographical distinction, and UN negotiator Matthew Nimetz has been working with a series of Greek administrations and Fyrom-Macedonian officials to find a resolution.
Little progress, however, has been made, especially as Greece has been agitated by Fyrom naming its airport after Alexander the Great, whom Greece claims as its own. 
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Greece also fears that Fyrom-Macedonia harbours territorial ambitions, especially towards its second largest city, Thessaloniki, where about 150 members of an ultra-right group held a demonstration after the decision, shouting "Greece belongs to the Greeks". 
 Previous popular demonstrations for MACEDONIA  in Thessaloniki
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Nationalists, especially the far right-wing Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) led by George Karatzaferis that is part of a temporary coalition government ruling Greece until elections early next year, were angered by the decision. Karatzaferis said his party would leave the government if Fyrom ultimately wins the Macedonia-name battle. 
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Greek interim Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said that "reaching a mutually acceptable solution on the name issue is a condition for the full normalisation of relations," but said what it called "continuing provocation" by Macedonia was an obstacle. 
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Outside the courtroom, Greece's Dutch Ambassador Ioannis Economides urged Fyrom "to resist using today's decision to subvert the negotiations", and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels that Fyrom  will not be admitted to the Alliance until the name Macedonia issue is resolved, leaving some Greek analysts less anxious over what they called a technical knockout for Macedonia. 
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"Some people here seem happy in the sense that this is now done so we can work on the name issue because it wasn't so bad for Greece," Alex Giannoulias, a senior research fellow at the Athens-based Research Institute for European and American Studies, which specialises in security issues, told SETimes. 
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"There is no fear, although some political parties are afraid," he said. "The only concern from this whole issue is that some people are concerned about the ability of the government to negotiate something," he added.
There was little opposition from Athens to the former Yugoslav republic using the name Macedonia until it declared independence in 1991. 
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The country occupies some of the territory in the region that was known as Macedonia after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, and Greece is fiercely protective of him and what it claims is historical evidence proving Macedonia is Greek, a view vehemently disputed in Fyrom .
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University of Athens International Relations Associate Professor Kostas Ifantis, a former Fulbright Scholar at Harvard who is associated with the Hellenic Centre for European Studies, said he was not surprised by the court's outcome. 
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"It was a decision to be expected; it was balanced," he told SETimes. "There is a political element in it. It's a signal by the courts that the issue should be solved and shouldn't be elevated to legal decisions." 
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He said while the court did not prevent Greece from exercising its right to block Fytom as Macedonia again, "I don't think it's an invitation to veto again; … the issue is ripe for a compromise."
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.

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