Macedonia Ready For “Name” Talks
Skopje | 17 June 2009 |Macedonian FM Antonio Milososki
“For a long-term successful finalization of the issue, there must be a compromise, equality and preservation of the dignity and principles of the both sides involved in the issue” FM Antonio Milososki said.
Milososki attended the leadership consultations that took place in Skopje’s Presidential parlance aimed at building a joint state strategy before the forthcoming talks. Macedonia’s President Gjorge Ivanov, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Vice PM Abdulakim Ademi were also present.
Milososki said that Ademi’s presence, for the first time at the consultations, was to show the inclusion of the one quarter ethnic Albanian population in to this issue that is of greater emotional interest to the Macedonian majority.
“The approach and solidarity of the Albanians in Macedonia is fair with regard to the issue. It is expected their commitment to give an additional quality to state's treatment of the issue” he said.
The UN mediator in the long standing dispute, Matthew Nimetz is expected to meet with countries' name negotiators Zoran Jolevski and Adamantios Vassilakis on 22 June in Geneva. After that media speculate he could visit Skopje and Athens in early July.
Athens claims that Skopje’s formal name, Macedonia, implies territorial claims towards Greece’s own northern province with the same name. The long standing row escalated last year when Greece used it as an excuse to block Macedonia’s NATO accession.
The talks were stalled for about six month due to elections in both countries.
(Reporting by Sinisa Jakov Marusic)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
As for Miloski, don't expect a solution anytime soon, he's using the language "way forward" which translates to more stalling for time and crossing fingers miracles happen.