“New Macedonia” to be discussed in Brussels: Greek TV

“New Macedonia” is the proposal to be discussed at the meeting of United Nations envoy Matthew Nimetz with the representatives of Macedonia and Greece in Brussels, Greek TV station “Star” reports.

The report claims that the path for the name issue’s settlement in the first half of 2018 would open if Skopje agreed with the proposal.

A name including a geographic qualifier such as “Northern Macedonia” is not acceptable for Greece, because this would “not prevent Skopje’s irredentism, implying the existence of Southern Macedonia, which is also not acceptable for Bulgaria”.

“Star” comments on the proposal’s acceptance within the government, especially PM Tsipras’s coalition partner Panos Kammenos, who has opposed the inclusion of word ‘Macedonia’ in the name of the northern neighbor. Regarding the opposition New Democracy, the TV station says the PM would not face major problems, since the proposal would be acceptable for some opposition MPs.

Greek media report that Monday’s working dinner of envoy Nimetz with countries’ representatives Ademantios Vassilakis and Vasko Naumovski did not take place because the mediator failed to arrive in time due to the poor weather conditions at the Brussels airport.

The fresh round of talks is planned for Tuesday, followed by a press conference of envoy Nimetz.

Macedonia’s representative Naumovski will be accompanied by a diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as will Greek official Vassilakis.

The last round of UN-mediated talks with the countries’ representatives was held in New York in November 2014.