Macedonia, name dispute solution again turns into focus

The name convention after the end of local elections in Macedonia and the success the government coalition achieved again turns to the focus of international diplomacy, followed with great optimism and expectation of its final overcoming, while the first meeting of negotiators on both sides is expected by the end of the month.

This with their statements these days was confirmed by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, the chiefs of diplomacy of Macedonia and Greece, Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Koxias, as well as the optimistic warnings of US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hoyt Yi.

Prime Minister Zaev yesterday declared that Macedonia should be prepared to move on to the name issue, praising that it now has greater chances than before finding a solution with Greece.

With the Republic of Greece we have greater chances than before to find solutions. I expect that by the end of this month things will start moving, even negotiators with Nimic. I am also available for the prime ministerial level, the minister of foreign affairs is ready, we have already spoken with the president of state. In this regard, Macedonia must be ready to move permanently for resolving this matter”, Zaev said.

It showed hope that the opposition, too, will be fully involved, not for new blocks and new delays, but in office, says, find solutions to this major problem, which is curbing the RM and its integration processes.

Greek diplomacy chief Nikos Koxias, even earlier this week, declared that the name issue must be resolved in the first half of 2018 and that if not resolved, there will be big difficulties. If elected, three to four months of bureaucratic procedure is needed in the GDP. Thus, it must be resolved by the end of 2018, because in 2019 it will begin by election for president in Macedonia, and then, during the summer even in Greece there will be elections.

According to Greek media writings, Koxias personally wanted to resolve the issue for Skopje, within the wider context, under which Athens must close all open thrones to focus on improving Greek-Turkish relations.

State Department High Representative Hoyt Brian Yi, these days, stood that resolving the name dispute issue so far is at a higher level and closer to finding a solution.

There's a lot of work to be done, both sides. There will be negotiations and I am optimistic that there will be solutions because the mood in Greece and Macedonia is at the highest level from whenever it is until now”, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Yi has stressed at the Centre for International Relations in Washington.

Commenting on this statement by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Dimitrov stressed that there is an attempt to create a positive climate, which, according to him, is due to scientific learning with Macedonia that could happen when any country has been given a long time at the EU resort.

And from here, there's a political will, an optimism to learn lessons and open doors. And from there such encouraging messages”, Dimitrov says.

He warned that by the end of this month, the level of negotiators regarding the name dispute will be held.

“At this first stage, there will be no visit from mediator Matthew Nimic to the region. This is probably going to happen this month, and once all this is defined, they will be informed by the mediator's office”, Dimitrov said these days.

Under “IRJM on 11-12 June of 2018 enters NATO, the name issue in Koxia's hands, and Syriza”, the Greek portal “difernuz” published the text in which it claims that there is confirmed alignment for solution to the problem, which Greece has in the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia.

According to the portal, which refers to reliable sources in Greek diplomatic facilities, Macedonia, under the ranking, will initially withdraw Septembers and completely destroy the Skopje 2014 plan in order to enter NATO.

The key to the IRJM's name is in the final line, and at the NATO summit on June 11th-12th of 2018 in Brussels, there will be definite solutions for the name that would enable the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to enter the Alliance”, the portal writes and adds that if everything is developed according to plan, it will also have symbolic of what will happen exactly 10 years from Greece's veto to the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008.

Initially, according to “difernuz”, there must be visible progress by February. Then, in April next year, the European Commission will present the report on expanding progress, with Macedonia's demand that it get the date for the start of incuigatory negotiations.

Such powerful interest in being pressured by the name can be explained with the conclusion given at a forum at the Centre for International Relations in Washington, in which Deputy Secretary of State Yi participated, that although Macedonia apparently has at least some problems about peaceful agreements, however, its security depends on resolving the dispute with the name and entry into NATO.