Greece, FYR Macedonia May Agree on Name by June, UN Envoy Says
- UN envoy Nimetz discusses new options with both countries
- Republic of Macedonia blocked from NATO, EU over name dispute
People walk past a statue of "Alexander the Great" on the waterfront of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Jan. 17, 2018.
Photographer: Sakis Mitrolidis/Getty Images
The Republic of Macedonia and Greece continued UN-mediated talks seeking to resolve a long-lasting dispute on the former Yugoslav state’s official name, which may help bring progress on its European Union and NATO membership bids.
Officials from both countries met United Nations Special Representative Matthew Nimetz in New York on Wednesday. Greece resumed negotiations with the newly appointed cabinet in Skopje in December and agreed to hold monthly meetings after a three-year pause. A mutually acceptable agreement was possible within six months, according to Nimetz, who plans to visit both countries “in the next few weeks” and “see what people are thinking and how to move forward.” He didn’t comment on name options.