Skopje Reserved Over Belgrade Mediation Proposal

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not receive any offer for Tadic’s mediation so there is nothing to comment,” officials in Macedonia told the Dnevnik daily on Wednesday.

Addressing participants a conference in Belgrade on Tuesday, Tadic noted that Serbia would be glad “to mediate in resolving the issues that plague Macedonia".

Athens and Skopje have been locked in a dispute over Macedonia's name, which has so far blocked Macedonia's entry into NATO and progress in EU accession.

Athens argues that Skopje’s constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia implies territorial ambitions over its northern province, also called Macedonia.

Although the proposal is probably primarily intended to strengthen Serbia’s position in the region, Macedonia should not discard it right away, an unnamed Macedonian diplomat said for the same daily. He argued that another informal way of communication between Athens and Skopje trough Belgrade would be welcomed, although the official talks are held under UN mediation.

“We should not be afraid that this is a new plot against us from the traditional friends Greece and Serbia. Macedonian President [Georgi] Ivanov should call Tadic right away and ask him about the initiative. We must do that because we have no other option. Tadic has a correct attitude towards the name issue,” the diplomat was cited as saying.

After Greece last month prevented the EU from extending a start date for Macedonia’s accession talks, media have speculate that former EU foreign minister Javier Solana take the role of mediator in the dispute.

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor has also mentioned as a possible EU envoy that could play the same role as the ongoing UN mediator Matthew Nimetz.

Macedonia's Prime Minister has not commented Tadic's statement. But he did say last month that he has  "nothing against engaging people who can help in the negotiations".

Media speculate that the UN mediator will call a fresh round of talks soon, perhaps as early as this month.