"Northern Macedonia" in pipeline

The UN mediator in the name row will propose several variations of "Northern Macedonia" during his trips to both countries. Matthew Nimetz is expected to do this during Thursday’s visit to Skopje and a day after in Thessaloniki, Greece, unnamed diplomats are cited as saying in Greek newspaper Eleftheros Typos. "Northern Macedonia" in pipeline They add that Nimetz will leave both sides to decide until the end of September after which he would formally file the proposal. A final set of talks based on this proposal are possible during the United Nations General Assembly this autumn, the diplomats explain. They would be directly supervised by the United States that have stated several times that they want a quick solution to the row that left Macedonia outside NATO. In April Athens blocked Skopje’s invitation to join NATO arguing that Skopje’s name could lead it to make territorial claims on Greece’s own northern province which is also called Macedonia. Greece is also threatening to block Macedonia’s accession to the European Union. Later on Thursday, Nimetz is scheduled to meet Macedonia’s President Branko Crvenkovski and Premier Nikola Gruevski in Skopje.

"Northern Macedonia" in pipeline

They add that Nimetz will leave both sides to decide until the end of September after which he would formally file the proposal.

A final set of talks based on this proposal are possible during the United Nations General Assembly this autumn, the diplomats explain. They would be directly supervised by the United States that have stated several times that they want a quick solution to the row that left Macedonia outside NATO.

In April Athens blocked Skopje’s invitation to join NATO arguing that Skopje’s name could lead it to make territorial claims on Greece’s own northern province which is also called Macedonia. Greece is also threatening to block Macedonia’s accession to the European Union.

Later on Thursday, Nimetz is scheduled to meet Macedonia’s President Branko Crvenkovski and Premier Nikola Gruevski in Skopje.