Macedonia fears another Greek veto

Macedonia's FM Antonio Miloshoski says he fears Greece might block his country's EU membership just as it has done with its NATO ambition. He told the Reuters news agency that Greece has toughened its stance in the dispute over Macedonia's name, which Athens rejects, "making it more likely to block its neighbor's European Union membership". Macedonia fears another Greek veto Last year Greece vetoed Macedonia's accession to NATO, saying the country's name implied territorial claims to Greece's northern province of the same name. "The only shift was for the worse in their [Greek] attitude. They have toughened their position. We are concerned of a possibility of a second Greek blockade related to our opening EU accession talks," Miloshoski said in Slovenia, where he is attending a regional conference. Macedonia applied to join the EU in 2005 but has yet to start accession talks. The EU's Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in July talks could start within months, but Miloshoski said this could not be taken for granted. "I think the more the internal political situation in Greece is shaky, the higher is the risk for the second blockade against Macedonia," he said. But the Macedinian minister also said he hoped that UN envoy in the name dispute Matthew Nimetz will soon come up with a new proposal for a compromise. "We in Macedonia are ready to walk our mile in order to come to a solution," Miloshoski said. Greece's Secretary General for European Affairs, Dimitrios Katsoudas, also at the conference, told Reuters he was not optimistic that the name dispute could be resolved soon.

Macedonia fears another Greek veto

Last year Greece vetoed Macedonia's accession to NATO, saying the country's name implied territorial claims to Greece's northern province of the same name.

"The only shift was for the worse in their [Greek] attitude. They have toughened their position. We are concerned of a possibility of a second Greek blockade related to our opening EU accession talks," Miloshoski said in Slovenia, where he is attending a regional conference.

Macedonia applied to join the EU in 2005 but has yet to start accession talks. The EU's Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in July talks could start within months, but Miloshoski said this could not be taken for granted.

"I think the more the internal political situation in Greece is shaky, the higher is the risk for the second blockade against Macedonia," he said.

But the Macedinian minister also said he hoped that UN envoy in the name dispute Matthew Nimetz will soon come up with a new proposal for a compromise.

"We in Macedonia are ready to walk our mile in order to come to a solution," Miloshoski said.

Greece's Secretary General for European Affairs, Dimitrios Katsoudas, also at the conference, told Reuters he was not optimistic that the name dispute could be resolved soon.