THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - June 23, 2018 - Topic 2
Skopje has resolved a festering dispute with
Athens over the name of the Balkan nation that
emerged following the disintegration of Yugoslavia. The landmark agreement
signed with Greece this month, to rechristen Macedonia as the Republic of North
Macedonia, opens the doors for its admission, long vetoed by Greece, to the
principal Western economic and security blocs. The two governments have locked
horns on the issue for nearly 30 years, ever since the independent Slav state
proclaimed itself the Republic of Macedonia in 1991.
Greece refused to accept
this, as one of its own provinces goes by that evocative name. More than 100
countries in the United Nations — including the United States, Russia and China
— have recognised the country’s official name. But Greece has so far insisted
on referring to its northern neighbour as the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYROM), as per a UN-negotiated interim arrangement. According to the
agreement signed this month, the Republic of North Macedonia will be the name
used in Skopje’s dealings with other countries too. Many attempts to break the
deadlock had failed earlier, including a Macedonian offer to change its name in
exchange for handsome financial aid and investment. It did not help that Greek
apprehensions were heightened when the port city of Thessaloniki, the capital
of Greek Macedonia, was depicted on the maps of the new republic. Matters also
heated up with the erection of a grand statue closely resembling Alexander the
Great in the central district of Skopje, as Greeks resist any signal that the
Slav republic may be laying claim to their ancient civilisation.
A more diplomatically ticklish issue was Greece’s
insistence on a constitutional amendment to clarify that Skopje had no
territorial right over the Greek region. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev
held that such changes were in the realm of domestic law, and that in any case
these can always be reversed by a future government. Among the concessions the
Macedonian government has made in recent months is to change the name of the
Alexander the Great airport to Skopje International. It has also renamed a motorway
named after Alexander. It has not been easy for Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras either — he survived a vote of no confidence on the issue last week,
and is still to secure parliamentary ratification without support from his
nationalist coalition partner. His counterpart in Skopje similarly faces the
awkward prospect of the President rejecting the deal, besides having to win a
popular referendum. But none of these hurdles is insurmountable. The resolution
of the dispute now clears the way for talks on the Republic of North
Macedonia’s membership of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation.
Vocabulary
Rechristen: give
a new name to.
Example: He
rechristened Zaire the Democratic Republic of Congo
Proclaim: announce
officially or publicly.
Example: The
joint manifesto proclaimed that imperialism would be the coalition's chief
objective
Evocative: bringing
strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.
Example: Powerfully
evocative lyrics
Synonyms: reminiscent, suggestive, redolent, expressive, vivid, graphic, powerful
Insist: demand
something forcefully, not accepting refusal
Example: She
insisted on carrying her own bag
Synonyms: demand, command, require, dictate, urge, exhort
Deadlock: a
situation, typically one involving opposing parties, in which no progress can
be made.
Example: An
attempt to break the deadlock
Apprehension: the
action of arresting someone.
Example: They
acted with intent to prevent lawful apprehension
Synonyms: arrest, capture, seizure, detention, imprisonment, incarceration, collar
Depict: show
or represent by a drawing, painting, or other art form.
Example: The
four-metre wide painting depicts a typical Lowry scene of Victorian life in a
northern cotton town.
Synonyms: portray, represent, picture, illustrate, delineate, reproduce, render, draw
Ticklish: difficult
to deal with; requiring careful handling.
Example: Her
skill in evading ticklish questions
Synonyms: difficult, problematic, tricky, touchy, delicate, sensitive, tender, awkward
Insistence: the
fact or quality of insisting that something is the case or should be done.
Example: His
insistence on unilateral nuclear disarmament
Survive: continue
to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship.
Example: Against
all odds the child survived
Synonyms: remain
alive, live, sustain oneself, pull through, get
through, hold on/out
Coalition: an
alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political
parties forming a government or of states.
Example: A
coalition of conservatives and disaffected Democrats
Synonyms: alliance, union, partnership, bloc, caucus, federation, league, association
Insurmountable: too
great to be overcome.
Example: An
insurmountable problem
Synonyms: insuperable, unconquerable, invincible, unassailable, overwhelming, hopeless
