Nimetz on Athens' Proposal For FYROM N "Name Issue"

Political Map of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from the Balkans Regional Atlas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has termed Athens' recently unveiled MoU to the government here as a "significant step" towards the direction of solving the long-standing "name issue" still plaguing relations between the two neighbours. Nimitz said he is aware that the government in Skopje is seriously considering the framework proposal outlined by Greece, while adding, however, that prudence on his part now dictates that no more statements are made on the issue, according to a dispatch by the Greek state news agency.

His brief statement was broadcast by a local television station.

Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in early October 2012 proposed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Athens and Skopje in order to boost Nimetz's mission for a solution to the "name issue" -- a nagging and thorny obstacle to the complete normalisation in relations between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The official letter by Avramopoulos to his counterpart in the FYROM government, Nikola Poposki, was announced by foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras. He clarified that the initiative was undertaken in support of the efforts by the UN special envoy, adding that Athens is merely attempting to jump-start the process. He added that whatever MoU will not replace the September 1995 Interim Agreement, "which is in effect until it is challenged ... and clearly sets the basis, the framework and the parameters of a solution to the "name issue". (AMNA)

Editor's Note - We trust -and warn- that the Athens government will have Greece's intentions at heart, and this is not a ten-steps back proposal. And the reason we say this is because Mr. Nimetz has never really leaned towards Greece's position on the matter, but rather on FYROM's and most importantly we still do not know what damage the George Papandreou government did on this matter since our former PM always practised private diplomacy. We will continue to follow the story, and hope that it will have positive results for our country.