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Greece, FYROM still far apart on name
AP - Monday, December 03, 2007 9:50 AM
SKOPJE, Macedonia-Greece and Macedonia remain far apart in a dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name, the U.N. mediator on the issue said Monday. Greece has threatened to veto Macedonia's efforts to join NATO unless the disagreement is resolved.
U.N. special envoy Matthew Nimetz visited Skopje on Monday, and was due in Athens on Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute.
"Progress in this latest round of talks was in getting ideas and views," he said after meeting with President Branko Crvenkovski, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki. "This is not an easy issue and the positions here and in Greece are well known."
Sixteen years after Macedonia gained bloodless independence from Yugoslavia, the Balkan neighbors still cannot agree on what to call the tiny, landlocked state. Athens argues that the name "Macedonia" could imply territorial claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Officially, the country is known internationally as The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM.
Athens has threatened to scuttle its neighbor's NATO and EU membership bids if Skopje refuses to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
Skopje has said it will only discuss a name to be used bilaterally with Greece, insisting on its current name for international relations. Athens says a deal must apply internationally.
Both countries have maintained diplomatic relations since 1995. The name dispute has not prevented business and trade relations from flourishing, and Greece remains the largest foreign investor in Macedonia.
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