Macedonia and the European Union

[Risto the Great]

I am not sure they will make it difficult Bratot.
They seem to be desperate to include Serbia & Montenegro for some reason. We all know there are far less deserving than Macedonia. So it makes me think they have another agenda here. If they make it hard for Macedonia, then it will be absolutely impossible to allow Serbia and Montenegro to proceed with MUCH less justification.

[Jankovska]

I think this will happen, they had no remarks regarding Macedonia. It will not be made such a big deal if it wasn't going to happen. Macedonians will start travelling around Europe as of the 1st Jan next without visa. The only thing I am bothered about is the fact the UK is not part of this

[Risto the Great]

The only thing I am bothered about is the fact the UK is not part of this

Oh c'mon Jankovska .... the UK is as European as China is.

[Jankovska]

Oh c'mon Jankovska .... the UK is as European as China is.

I know but still my life would be so much easier to have family visit me without visa's. I guess it will be courts until the UK changes something

[Risto the Great]

I suspect the UK will be happy to keep the Albanians out.

[Pelister]

I agree.

Realistically, there is only one country that has an issue, the world is gradually (but not fast enough) realising this.

I agree too.

We have to be patient and the benefits will come to us.

I think putting up our Macednoian Nationality for negotiation, is the wrong strategy. Why?

1. These are not the only large organizations. There are many others, where Greece isn't a member.
2. After looking more closely at the conditions in the Macedonian Republic, I think that the "benefits" of E.U membership are not justified at all. We can achieve strong growth and political legitimacy through other avenues.
3. We need to be more critical of Greece, because the E.U will not.
4. There will no public criticism that holds any validity, if the Macedonians simply ask that their rights be respected. A principled position needs to be adopted here. It is the ONLY legitimate way to defend ourselves, and exit this madness.

Having said that what is becoming clear is that we can gain some of the benefits of being part of the E.U. without actually becoming a member.

[Risto the Great]

Having said that what is becoming clear is that we can gain some of the benefits of being part of the E.U. without actually becoming a member.

The only reason any Macedonian EU advocates ever existed was because of the ability for Macedonians to interact no matter what side of the (artificial) borders. This will be a reality now WITHOUT being a member. There is no further need for anything more.

[Jankovska]

I suspect the UK will be happy to keep the Albanians out.

Oh you won't believe how easy it is for an Albo to get a visa for the UK, takes 15 min. So many of them here now that I wonder how they haven't started demanding golema albania here. It's the poor Macedonian who gets treated badly and humiliated just because he wants to visit family. I have a court hearing regarding this in a couple of months. i am sick and fed up with the embassy taking the piss of the macedonian people who are honest people while letting everyy Albo who has applied in.

[osiris]

Britain needs more drug dealers pimps stand over men and bouncers jankovska. i too was amazed at how many albanians there are in london especially around entertainment venues

[Risto the Great]

I find this really hard to believe Jankovska. What would be the logic in allowing only Albanians?
Is there a Freedom of Information Act in Macedonia?
Perhaps some of these statistics are worth pursuing.

[Jankovska]

I find this really hard to believe Jankovska. What would be the logic in allowing only Albanians?
Is there a Freedom of Information Act in Macedonia?
Perhaps some of these statistics are worth pursuing.

No idea why, I wouldn't do it but that is the reality. If you step into the British Embassy 90% of the people are Albos, UCK passports are the easiest to obtain a visa, go figure. The area where I live was a great area, a bit pricey but pretty, now the high street is flooded with Albanians, espeacially from Kosovo. Even the English hate them.
The british ebmassy in Macedonia is a joke. Most of the officers are Albanians and when you walk in they greet you in Albo and if they see you are not one than in Macedonian.The embassy excuse for employing so many Albos and not Macedonians is that the Albos speak three languages and the Macedonians two. The british don't even look at the applications,the officer takes it, reviews it and decides your faith. If you are not happy you can appeal to an Immigration Tribunal in the UK but most Macedonians are not able to do that so that's 100 euros gone.
Albanians is totaly different. They walk in, have a little interview chat in Albo and than are asked to come back at so and so o'clock to collect their visa. My brother has been refused three times on grounds that are actually funny so I have decided to appeal and go via the courts here. I called so many times and wanted to speak to someone British there but was told on every occassion I can not be put through as they don't deal with idividual applications blah blah. It's a joke
do you remember a couple of years ago when they made our dancing folk group dance to prove they are dancers to receive their visas. It was the Albanian officers that did that, not the British or the Macedonians.

[Risto the Great]

Absolutely infuriating!

[Soldier of Macedon]

What a disgrace.

[Napoleon]

Doe anybody know how easy it is for an Albanian resident in Macedonia to gain either an Albanian or Kosovo passport? Also, does anybody have an idea whether or not they travel on Macedonian or Albanian passports as a general rule?

The reason I ask this is because I believe this issue is an essential key in solving Macedonia's Albanian minority question. Although it is inevitable that Macedonia will gain EU membership sooner or later, I feel the longer Macedonia holds out the better. This will be especially so when Albanian and Kosovo citizens are able to visit, work and live in the EU more easily without restrictions while Macedonian citizens can still not do so. This will give many Albanians in Macedonia a powerful incentive to obtain Albanian or Kosovo passports in order to seek greener pastures in the EU. After an fews years, I think Macedonia should enact laws banning citizens holding dual passports and restrict the gaining of citizenship to people who can prove ethnic Macedonian descent.

Western Europe has treated Macedonia so well during the last 100 years or so, why not repay their 'kindness' by giving them large Albanian minorities

[Risto the Great]

Albanians are the darlings of Western manipulation in the Balkans. They have taken over from where the Greeks left off 80 years ago.