Athens, Skopje want progress in name dispute talks, Nimetz says

30/06/2008

UN envoy Matthew Nimetz met with Greek and Macedonian representatives late last week to discuss the ongoing name dispute. The envoy is expected to hold another round of discussions by July 9th.

By Zoran Nikolovski and Christos Ringas for Southeast European Times in Skopje and Athens -- 30/06/08

UN mediator Matthew Nimetz (left) met with Macedonian Prime Minister Nicola Gruevski in Skopje on Friday (June 27th). [Tomislav Georgiev]

After meeting with representatives from Greece and Macedonia last week, Matthew Nimetz, the UN envoy in the ongoing name dispute, said he believes efficient talks are under way between Skopje and Athens but that no concrete proposals are on the table.

Nimetz's remarks came after he met on Thursday (June 26th) with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Greece's representative in the talks, Adamantios Vassilakis, in Athens, and then on Friday with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, President Branko Crvenkovski and Macedonian negotiator Nikola Dimitrov in Skopje.

Optimistically, he said, both countries approached the talks seriously. "I won't say that the gap is closing as the views for the way of resolving the issue are different, but both countries expressed readiness to look into the possibility of making progress now," Nimetz said after the meetings.

Athens has made clear issues that are not subject to negotiation. The country's main concern is finding a common name for use both domestically and internationally. The best solution, according to the Greek government, is a name with a geographical determination such as North Macedonia.

Greece has said it will not accept the recognition of "Macedonian" identity and language. During his visit last week, Nimetz said he will work to separate those two issues and find a name usable for all formal references to the former Yugoslav state.

In April, Greece blocked Macedonia's NATO accession at the Bucharest summit. According to Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, the European Council has said that finding a solution to the matter is a prerequisite for Macedonia's European integration. "We hope that the new government will leave behind the provocative rhetoric of the pre-election period, in order to mutually agree on a solution," he minister said.

In Skopje on Friday, Nimetz met with Gruevski and Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki. He held a separate meeting with Crvenkovski. Local media interpreted the separate encounters as evidence of a rift between the president and prime minister on some matters.

According to several media reports, Gruevski opened the issue of Macedonians in northern Greece and their minority rights. Reportedly, the prime minister demanded that those groups, who left Macedonia during the Greek civil war, should have their nationality and property restored.

Athens said an agreement must precede discussion of its implementation. The envoy is expected to announce his next step in the dispute negotiations this week, which likely will include another round of intensive diplomatic contacts and direct meetings with representatives of both countries by July 9th.