Greece says a UN special envoy has suggested a new name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in a bid to end a dispute over the state's name.
Greece objects to the neighbouring Skopje government using the name Macedonia, saying it implies claims on a Greek province of the same name.
It says UN envoy Matthew Nimitz proposed the name Republic of Makedonia-Skopje for official use.
Greece has said the new name could be a basis for constructive negotiations.
The suggestion uses the name of the capital in the same way that the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville incorporates the name of the city to distinguish it from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis told reporters the suggestion did "not totally satisfy Greece, but it was a basis for negotiations which Greece is ready to partake in a positive and constructive spirit".
But Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski reacted coolly to the proposed name.
His government has already offered the solution whereby the international community uses Macedonia and Greece uses Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
"The double formula is on the table. We think that's a greater compromise than the compromise Greece is trying to come up with," he said, according to Reuters.
He said he expected the talks in New York to continue on Monday.
Last year, the United States acknowledged Skopje's use of the name Macedonia, angering the Athens government.
The US said the decision was not meant to anger Greece, but to reward Macedonia for its commitment to democracy.
Greece and Macedonia have held United Nations-led talks on the issue for more a decade. The dispute began with the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in 1991.
Greece imposed an economic embargo on its neighbour until it agreed to be referred to as the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" - a name which most of its inhabitants dislike.
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5 comments:
northern macedonia would be more accurate...
or east albania...
or west bulgaria...
The country of FYROM has no right to call itself Macedonia. Their origin is Albania! By using the name of Macedonia and by distributing maps where they show part of Greece as their own territory, they prve that all they want is to take over by negotiations and not by war, the northern part of Greece. They should not be admitted in the EU or be allowed to use politics to change the borders of their country. This is not democracy and EU does not need this!
slavic macedonia seems to have originated about the time that the russians started a push for a warm water port in the early 19th century...
prior to then, the slavic macedonians were all bulgarian...
they teach that thessalonika is part of macedonia...
They are not Albanians and they are certainly not Greeks. This story that they are Bulgarians is also untrue. It is true that they are a mixure of Serbs, Albanians, Roma, Bulgarians and of course Greeks. This territory of today's FYRO Macedonia was shared in the past by Serbs and Greeks in order to prevent Bulgarian influence there. As for the Albania - please check your history books and see when this country was constituted :)) . The Macedonian nation was invented by Tito in order to make them fight against Bulgarians in the second World War. Tito was the one to put nationalist ideas in their heads and the first one to tell them that they belong neither to Serbia, nor to Greece, nor to Bulgaria, but that they belong to themselves. One million times repeaed lie became their truth and during the years they even added up to it!At a certain point they came up with the idea that they are ..hm..why not -ancestors of Alexander the Great!?!? It is a shame that any country can support them in stealing other nation's history, and anyone who supports them in this issue should think how would they feel if suddenly their "neighbours" stole their country's history!
Shame on you, MAKEDONIJO!
Why don't you name Macedonia "Remote Macedonian Republic of Russian Federation"? It is also untrue, but so liked in several West European countries putin will love it!
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