Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) prime minister said on Monday he hoped Skopje and Athens could soon reach a solution to a decades-long dispute over the former Yugoslav republic’s name.
According to Reuters, Zoran Zaev said he expected the two sides to move fast to find a solution.
“November 21, 20 there will be a first meeting with (U.N. mediator) Matthew Nimetz and I hope we will find a solution rather than postpone it,” Zaev said after meeting his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar.
He said he expects his country to start accession talks with the EU next year. The meeting in November will be the first with the U.N. mediator since Zaev took over in June.
The name dispute between Greece and FYROM has dragged on for almost 26 years with no clear progress. Athens has previously insisted that Skopje use a compound name such as “New” or “Upper” Macedonia.
The former prime minister, nationalist Nikola Gruevski, built his almost decade-long rule on nationalism and had refused to meet Greek demands.
Source: Reuters
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