Macedonian Minister: We have reached a framework for the name agreement.

Macedonian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Dimitrov has announced the achievement of a framework for agreement with Greece on the name issue.

He has made these statements to the MIA agency, after meeting in Brussels with Greek diplomacy chief Nikos Kotzias.

We had a productive meeting, we had a framework that should be processed and currently groups of lawyers of both ministries are working on its contents. An important meeting planned at the level of prime ministers, Zaev and Cipras by mid-week is scheduled. We believe that they will determine some important jobs from options that are at stake”, Dimitrov said without specifying the content of the framework.

Dimitrov, on Monday, had an informal meeting with EU foreign affairs ministers or their deputy.

As it becomes known, France and the Netherlands have taken a firm stand for the failure to date for the start of the talks, as expected. But, Dimitrov has said that “are likely strange”.

It's nice to know that this is not a simple matter. The EU's internal consolidation is compatible and not contrary to the consolidation of the Balkans ... We are not in a position to have luxury and to lay the historical perspective”, Dimitrov declared.

Even senior European Union officials have announced progress in the dispute settlement talks.

“We are all highly encouraged by the progress between Skopje and Athens for the name. We will all work to support a positive epilogue”, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Moghrini, has declared.

Talks in Brussels follow those in New York, where the two sides failed to make progress after Greece rejected the proposal, “Republic of Macedonia of Ilinden”.