UN mediator Nimetz arrives in Skopje to meet Ivanov, Zaev, Dimitrov, Mickoski and Ahmeti

UN name mediator Matthew Nimetz following his visit to Athens, has arrived Wednesday in Skopje for two-day talks with the Macedonian top officials.

Nimetz with his associates was in the Skopje hotel “Holiday Inn” Wednesday morning, but he did not give any statement to the media.

Nimetz is to give a statement after his meeting with FM Nikola Dimitrov.

As announced, he will be received by President Gjorge Ivanov and PM Zoran Zaev and will hold meetings with FM Nikola Dimitrov, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.

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 parties to reach an agreement.

“I think there is a momentum here. Waiting makes no sense, makes no sense in the northern neighbor, in general it makes no sense. We have been discussing the matter for 25 years, everyone knows the issues. It’s time to make decisions and I think we have reached that point,” the UN envoy told reporters after the meeting with Kotzias falling short to provide a concrete timeline. There will be talks in the coming weeks after which the situation should be re-examined, according to him, MIA reported from Athens.

Name proposals, irredentism, international and regional relations of Macedonia and measures for positive agenda are four points of the draft agreement which Greece is to forward to Macedonia by mid-February, Greek FM Nikos Kotzias told Greece’s state broadcaster ERT, MIA reports from Athens.

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 broadcaster ERT.

Ahead of the visit of the UN special envoy Matthew Nimetz, appointed to broker 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 will abide by the interests, dignity and identity of the two nations. To reach an agreement requires the other party to show good will, too,” Dimitrov’s office said.

Photo: Boris Grdanoski