Macedonia and Greek Nationhood

Greece fully agrees with the need for FYROM's independence. But this must not come at the expense of the security of a long-term US ally; nor should such independence legitimize claims against Greek territory that would become a flash point of crisis in the future.

Article 108 of the Greek constitution refers to protecting Greek citizens living abroad, a legitimate obligation of concern.

By contrast, the FYROM constitution addresses persons without any obvious link to this republic.

Moreover, the existence of such ``Macedonians'' outside FYROM in the terms Skopje presents is a fabrication as far as Greek territory is concerned. The inference of irredentism is undeniable.

There are indeed not 1 million but more than 2 1/2 million Macedonians in northern Greece: They are, however, Greek - part and parcel of the Greek nation for centuries. Elias Clis, San Francisco

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