Declaration of Judge ad hoc Vukas

Document Number
142-20111205-JUD-01-05-EN
Parent Document Number
142-20111205-JUD-01-00-EN
Document File
Bilingual Document File

749

dECLARATION OF JUdgE AD HOC VUKAS

1. I share the view of the Court concerning its finding that it has
jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by the former Yugoslav
Republic of macedonia on 17 November 2008 and that the Application
is admissible.
2. I also agree with the conclusion of the Court

“that the Hellenic Republic, by objecting to the admission of the fork ‑
mer Yugoslav Republic of macedonia to NATO, has breached its
obligation under Article 11, paragraph 1, of the Interim Accord of

13 September 1995” (paragraph 2 of the operative clause).
3. However, I cannot subscribe to the conclusion of the Court to reject

“all other submissions made by the former Yugoslav Republic of mace ‑
donia” (paragraph 3 of the operative clause). This finding relates specifi ‑
cally to the Applicant’s request that the Court orders

“that the Respondent immediately take all necessary steps to comply
with its obligations under Article 11, paragraph 1, of the Interim
Accord, and to cease and desist from objecting in any way, whether

directly or indirectly, to the Applicant’s membership of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization and/or of any other ‘international,
multilateral and regional organizations and institutions’ of which the
Respondent is a member, in circumstances where the Applicant is to
be referred to in such organization or institution by the designation
provided for in paragraph 2 of United Nations Security Council res ‑

olution 817 (1993)” (paragraph 2 of the final submissions).

4. The reason in support of this request of the former Yugoslav Repub‑
lic of macedonia is that there exists a clear necessity of that State to
become a member of various “international, multilateral and regional k
organizations and institutions”. An action of the former Yugoslav Repkub ‑
lic of macedonia in that direction was supported, also by greece. Namely,

the memorandum of Understanding between the ministry of defence of
the party of the Second part and the ministry of National defence of the
party of the First part concerning Support to the Combined medical
Team for participation in NATO‑led Operation ISAF in Afghanistan
which was concluded in Athens on 27 July 2005.
5. However, contrary to greece’s earlier support, the trend of the

former Yugoslav Republic of macedonia to become a member of interna ‑
tional organizations is seriously endangered by greece in connection with

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the 2008 Bucharest meeting. The condemnation of greece by the Court

of her actions preventing the membership of the former Yugoslav Repub ‑
lic of macedonia in NATO is not sufficient in order to fulfil the obligation
of greece under the Interim Accord. The duty of greece as a member of
the European Union, in supporting the relations of macedonia with the
European States is clear from the text of Article 11, paragraph 2, of the

Interim Accord:
“The parties agree that the ongoing economic development of the

party of the Second part should be supported through international
co‑operation, as far as possible by a close relationship of the party of
the Second part with the European Economic Area and the Euro ‑
pean Union.”

6. According to that text, greece has not only the duty stated in Arti ‑
cle 11, paragraph 1, of the Interim Accord, but is also under the obliga ‑
tion to support actively the international co‑operation of the former

Yugoslav Republic of macedonia. The conclusion of the Court to reject
the Applicant’s request concerning the future Respondent’s activitkies does
not correspond to the Court’s conclusion that its Judgment “would kaffect
existing rights and obligations of the parties under the Interim Accord
and would be capable of being applied effectively by them” (paragraph 53

of the Judgment).

(Signed) Budislav Vukas.

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Bilingual Content

749

dECLARATION OF JUdgE AD HOC VUKAS

1. I share the view of the Court concerning its finding that it has
jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by the former Yugoslav
Republic of macedonia on 17 November 2008 and that the Application
is admissible.
2. I also agree with the conclusion of the Court

“that the Hellenic Republic, by objecting to the admission of the fork ‑
mer Yugoslav Republic of macedonia to NATO, has breached its
obligation under Article 11, paragraph 1, of the Interim Accord of

13 September 1995” (paragraph 2 of the operative clause).
3. However, I cannot subscribe to the conclusion of the Court to reject

“all other submissions made by the former Yugoslav Republic of mace ‑
donia” (paragraph 3 of the operative clause). This finding relates specifi ‑
cally to the Applicant’s request that the Court orders

“that the Respondent immediately take all necessary steps to comply
with its obligations under Article 11, paragraph 1, of the Interim
Accord, and to cease and desist from objecting in any way, whether

directly or indirectly, to the Applicant’s membership of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization and/or of any other ‘international,
multilateral and regional organizations and institutions’ of which the
Respondent is a member, in circumstances where the Applicant is to
be referred to in such organization or institution by the designation
provided for in paragraph 2 of United Nations Security Council res ‑

olution 817 (1993)” (paragraph 2 of the final submissions).

4. The reason in support of this request of the former Yugoslav Repub‑
lic of macedonia is that there exists a clear necessity of that State to
become a member of various “international, multilateral and regional k
organizations and institutions”. An action of the former Yugoslav Repkub ‑
lic of macedonia in that direction was supported, also by greece. Namely,

the memorandum of Understanding between the ministry of defence of
the party of the Second part and the ministry of National defence of the
party of the First part concerning Support to the Combined medical
Team for participation in NATO‑led Operation ISAF in Afghanistan
which was concluded in Athens on 27 July 2005.
5. However, contrary to greece’s earlier support, the trend of the

former Yugoslav Republic of macedonia to become a member of interna ‑
tional organizations is seriously endangered by greece in connection with

109

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dÉCLARATION dE m. LE JUgE AD HOC VUKAS

[Traduction]

1. Je souscris à la conclusion de la Cour selon laquelle elle a compék ‑
tence pour connaître de la requête déposée par l’ex‑Rékpublique yougo ‑
slave de macédoine le 17 novembre 2008 et selon laquelle cette requête est
recevable.
2. Je souscris également à la conclusion de la Cour selon laquelle

«la République hellénique, en s’opposant à l’admission de kl’ex‑
République yougoslave de macédoine à l’OTAN, a manqué à l’obli ‑
gation que lui impose le paragraphe 1 de l’article 11 de l’accord

intérimaire du 13 septembre 1995 » (point 2 du dispositif).
3. Je suis cependant en désaccord avec la décision de la Cour de rejekter

«le surplus des conclusions de l’ex‑République yougoslave de macédoine»
(point 3 du dispositif). Cette décision se rapporte plus particulièremenkt à la
demande de l’ex‑République yougoslave de macédoine tendant à ce que
soit ordonné

«au défendeur de prendre immédiatement toutes les mesures néces ‑
saires afin que celui‑ci respecte les obligations que lui impose le pakra‑
graphe 1 de l’article 11 de l’accord intérimaire et de mettre fin et de

renoncer à toute forme d’opposition, directe ou indirecte, à l’kadmis ‑
sion du demandeur à l’Organisation du traité de l’Atlantiquek Nord
ou à l’une quelconque des autres « organisations et institutions inter ‑
nationales, multilatérales et régionales » dont le défendeur est mem ‑
bre, lorsque le demandeur doit être désigné, dans ces organisatkions
ou institutions, sous l’appellation prévue au paragraphe 2 de la réso ‑

lution 817 (1993) du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies » (para‑
graphe 2 des conclusions finales).

4. Si l’ex‑République yougoslave de macédoine a prié la Cour d’or ‑
donner pareille mesure, c’est qu’elle a bien évidemment besoin kde devenir
membre de diverses « organisations et institutions internationales, multi ‑
latérales ou régionales ». L’une des initiatives qu’elle a prises à cet effet
— le mémorandum d’entente relatif à l’appui à l’équipe médicale conjointe

aux fins de la participation à l’opération ISAF menée par kl’OTAN en
Afghanistan, conclu à Athènes le 27 juillet 2005 entre le ministère de la
défense de la seconde partie et le ministère de la défense nationale de la
première partie — a d’ailleurs été appuyée, y compris par la grèce.

5. depuis le sommet de Bucarest de 2008, la grèce menace cependant

sérieusement le processus d’adhésion de l’ex‑République yougoslave de
macédoine à des organisations internationales, alors qu’elle le ksoutenait

109

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the 2008 Bucharest meeting. The condemnation of greece by the Court

of her actions preventing the membership of the former Yugoslav Repub ‑
lic of macedonia in NATO is not sufficient in order to fulfil the obligation
of greece under the Interim Accord. The duty of greece as a member of
the European Union, in supporting the relations of macedonia with the
European States is clear from the text of Article 11, paragraph 2, of the

Interim Accord:
“The parties agree that the ongoing economic development of the

party of the Second part should be supported through international
co‑operation, as far as possible by a close relationship of the party of
the Second part with the European Economic Area and the Euro ‑
pean Union.”

6. According to that text, greece has not only the duty stated in Arti ‑
cle 11, paragraph 1, of the Interim Accord, but is also under the obliga ‑
tion to support actively the international co‑operation of the former

Yugoslav Republic of macedonia. The conclusion of the Court to reject
the Applicant’s request concerning the future Respondent’s activitkies does
not correspond to the Court’s conclusion that its Judgment “would kaffect
existing rights and obligations of the parties under the Interim Accord
and would be capable of being applied effectively by them” (paragraph 53

of the Judgment).

(Signed) Budislav Vukas.

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auparavant. Or, le fait que la Cour la condamne pour avoir empêché

l’ex‑République yougoslave de macédoine de devenir membre de l’OTAN
ne suffit pas pour que soit respectée l’obligation que l’accord intérimaire
lui impose. Le paragraphe 2 de l’article 11 de cet instrument précise en
effet clairement que la grèce doit, en tant que membre de l’Union euro ‑
péenne, favoriser les relations de la macédoine avec les Etats européens :

«les parties conviennent que le développement économique de la sec‑

onde partie devrait être soutenu au moyen d’une coopération interna‑
tionale, dans toute la mesure possible grâce à une relation étrkoite de
cette partie avec l’espace économique européen et l’Union européke» n.ne

6. Aux termes de cette disposition, la grèce doit donc non seulement
s’acquitter de l’obligation qui lui incombe en application du parakgraphe 1
de l’article 11 de l’accord intérimaire, mais également apporter un soutien k

actif à l’ex‑République yougoslave de macédoine en matière de coopéra ‑
tion internationale. Le rejet, par la Cour, de la demande formulée pakr le
demandeur relativement aux actes futurs du défendeur n’est pas cohkérent
avec sa conclusion suivant laquelle l’arrêt « affecterait les droits et obliga‑
tions des parties au titre de l’accord intérimaire et serait susceptible d’kap‑

plication effective» (paragraphe 53 de l’arrêt).

(Signé) Budislav Vukas.

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Document Long Title

Declaration of Judge ad hoc Vukas

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