Osmani: Protests should not influence name negotiations


Deputy PM for European Affairs Bujar Osmani described the peaceful and non-violent protests in Athens on Sunday as part of the public debate and a guaranteed right in a democracy, which should nonetheless have no influence over the name dispute resolution process. “However,” Osmani said before his meeting with Western Balkans ambassadors, “We should also not …

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Forum for Democratic Macedonia voices support for name dispute settlement


The Forum for Democratic Macedonia (FDM) welcomed Thursday the initiative for settling the name issue – the main obstacle to Macedonia’s integration with the European Union and NATO. Today’s visit of UN name mediator Matthew Nimetz to Macedonia, as well as the recent meeting of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras …

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Zaev-Nimetz: Right moment for mutually acceptable, dignified solution to name dispute


The Skopje-Athens name talks under the auspice of the United Nations and Ambassador Nimetz will resume, but from this moment on the foreign ministers will lead the negotiating teams of both countries, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Thursday at a meeting with UN mediator Matthew Nimetz. Nimetz on his part presented his ideas, opinions on …

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President Ivanov: Name solution without encroaching on identity


The settling of differences over the name must be in compliance with international law and international treaties, President Gjorge Ivanov told Matthew Nimetz, UN special envoy in the name talks, at their meeting Thursday in Skopje. Welcoming steps aimed at intensifying the dialogue, Ivanov noted that a name settlement could be sought only in the …

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FM Kotzias: Greek draft agreement on ‘all open issues relating to the name’ is negotiable


The agreement will not be a matter of ‘take it or leave it’ as the other party will have an opportunity to intervene with own proposals, Greek FM Nikos Kotzias said Tuesday in regard to a draft document covering ‘all open issues relating to the name’ he had announced at yesterday’s interview with the state …

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It’s time for making decisions, UN’s Nimetz says in Athens


There’s momentum, it’s time for making decisions, UN name mediator Matthew Nimetz said after his meeting Tuesday in Athens with Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias. Nimetz and Kotzias discussed the ideas tabled by the UN envoy two weeks ago. After being briefed on the government’s positions, Nimetz said there were willingness demonstrated by the two …

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Zbogar hopes Macedonia to reach national consensus over name dispute


It is very good news that the UN name mediator Matthew Nimetz is visiting the region, because the best solutions can be found only through dialogue, EU Ambassador to Macedonia Samuel Zbogar said Tuesday answering journalist question about the EU’s expectations from Nimetz’s visit and from the name dispute negotiations between Macedonia and Greece. “In …

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs: By revealing ultimate positions, room for negotiating is reduced


Ahead of the visit of the UN special envoy Matthew Nimetz, appointed to mediate the name talks, we emphasize that by publicly revealing ultimate positions, the room for negotiating could be diminished, the office of Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov told MIA. “On our part, we have shown good will for a mutually acceptable solution that …

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Pavlopoulos calls for a name without irredentist claims


The northern neighbor should make name changes that leave no scope for irredentist claims, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said during his meeting Monday with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who is in Greece for a two-day official visit. Pavlopoulos added that our country would also have to make amendments to the Constitution, which would pave the …

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Name settlement according to friendship treaty model, Ahmeti tells Kathimerini


The name issue to be closed according to the model of the friendship treaty with Bulgaria, with a consensus reached by the two governments, followed by a ratification in the assemblies of the two countries, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti proposes in Sunday’s interview with Greece’s newspaper Kathimerini. There is no better time than now to …

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Greek PM pledges to seek name solution with ‘patriotic responsibility’


Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Saturday held day-long meetings with political party leaders in the country to inform them about the latest developments related to the name issue, it has been reported. In an address to the nation after the meetings, Tsipras vowed he would seek a mutually acceptable solution to the name row …

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Greece’s government to seek name solution regardless of its political price


The incumbent Greek administration will be seeking a solution to the name dispute regardless of the political price it has to pay, provided that the other party is also demonstrating preparedness to solve it, because it takes two to tango, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Georgios Katrougalos told Greek MPs, MIA reported. He accused the …

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Mass protest in Thessaloniki against use of ‘Macedonia’ in name dispute with Skopje


Thousands of people, carrying banners with messages ‘Macedonia was, will be Greek’; ‘The name is our soul’, took Sunday to the streets Thessaloniki to ‘defend the name’, MIA reports. Hardline clerics, far-right leaders and Greek diaspora groups have called for the protest against the use of term ‘Macedonia’ in any solution to Athens-Skopje name dispute. …

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Greeks to rally against use of ‘Macedonia’ in name dispute with Skopje


‘Macedonia is Greece’ – reads a billboard hanged over a stage in downtown Thessaloniki where a long-announced protest against the use of term ‘Macedonia’ in any solution to Athens-Skopje name dispute is set to commence at 14:00h local time.  The police have tightened the security measures for the protest, as well as the counter-protest of …

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Greek media offer extensive reports on latest developments related to Athens-Skopje name dispute


Greek media keep offering extensive, detailed reports on the latest developments related to Athens-Skopje name dispute, MIA reports from the capital of Greece. The front pages of Sunday’s editions present analyses of the latest round of name negotiations in New York, upcoming meeting of the Macedonian, Greek Prime Ministers, Zoran Zaev and Alexisi Tsipras respectively, …

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Lavrov: Russia will recognise the name agreed between Athens and Skopje


Moscow, 15 January 2018 – The intensified Macedonia’s name talks is linked to the desire of the United States to bring this country into NATO, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday during his annual press conference in Moscow. Lavrov said that efforts have been in long-standing twilight sleep for number of years and US decided to …

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