Australia needs a sensible foreign policy on Macedonia

Up until 1988, the Greek authorities referred to this part of Macedonia simply as as Northern Greece. It is only after the Republic of Macedonia (which was part of Yugoslavia) had become an independent state in 1991, that Greece embarked on a campaign of claiming that all of Macedonia is Greek because Greece feared there would be re-unification of the Macedonian people.

It has tried hard to prevent the Republic of Macedonia from integrating into the world under the name of Macedonia. Greece swiftly renamed the Macedonian territories under its control as Macedonia, as part of its Hellenisation policies designed to justify its land grab.

Greece’s intransigence and tactics have been a source of embarrassment to the remaining 25 NATO member states who wanted to extend an invitation of membership to the Republic of Macedonia based on meeting all the technical criteria. The US has warned that institutions such as NATO will become unsustainable if one member can hold the organisation to ransom.

As an Australian citizen, I find it difficult to understand how Australia can possibly be advantaged by a foreign policy which at best is redundant and at worst inconsistent with Australia’s much proclaimed values of fairness, democracy, human rights, independent thinking, freedom etc. The Australian Government’s policy on Macedonia is completely out of step with the majority of nations in the world and its own stated objective of pursuing an enlightened, activist and independent foreign policy.

Those who think that Australia should continue to follow the Greek foreign policy line on Macedonia need to understand that such a policy is unjust, unsustainable and not in Australia’s national interest. If a survey were to be conducted of Australian Greek citizens and Australian MPs I believe it would show that most of them would agree that every nation has a right to self-identification and that human rights, language and cultural heritage should be protected.

The recent protests in Greece were driven by deep seated anger against serious corruption, unemployment and manipulation of the people by the Greek establishment. Greek foreign policy on Macedonia is not a reflection of the wishes of decent Greek citizens. Most Greeks, like most decent Australians, understand that the Macedonian people like any other people deserve a fair go and the time for playing political games is over.

It is important to remember that Australia and Macedonia have many points of common interest and purpose such as contributing to regional and global security especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, collaborating on energy policy and climate change, pursuing a multi-lateralist agenda, trade and investment and educational and cultural exchange.

To advance the bi-lateral relationship requires courage, commitment and political good will on the part of the Rudd Government. Macedonia recently introduced visa free travel for Australian citizens and celebrated the creation of an Australia-Macedonia Inter-parliamentary Group. Both sides need to provide resources to operationalise the closer relationship.

Speaking at a seminar in May 2008 on Australia-EU Relations at the Contemporary Europe Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, Ambassador Penny Wensley, the then Europe Chief at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade noted that “pursuing a creative middle power diplomacy requires engagement with like minded countries in order to promote joint positions on a range of strategic, economic and social issues”.

For this to happen, there needs to be a suitable foreign policy setting backed up by fresh thinking and new leadership on Australia’s role in international affairs.

For its part, the Australian Macedonian community and its civil society organisations stand ready to facilitate collaboration and advancement of the bi-lateral relationship and to build close and friendly relations with all responsible and respectable stakeholders.