US Hope for Swift Macedonia 'Name' Settlement

Jones made the remarks at yesterday’s debate at the Washington Center for Strategic & International Studies, which was dedicated to the topic 'Balkan Transformation: Security, Political Stability and Economic Development', Voice of America - Macedonian language program reported.

The Skopje-Athens row was mentioned in the context of the urgent need for its resolution. Some of the participants argued that the US administration should boost the mediation efforts as the current UN sponsored talks have produced no tangible results.

Despite US willingness to help in finding a compromise “the UN must remain the main mediator in the process”, Jones insisted.

Jones said that a compromise demands significant effort from the Greek and Macedonian sides and that all discussions apart from the UN talks, while helpful, are not crucial.

At his latest meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, US President Barack Obama expressed his hope that the matter will be settled in the next few months, Jones noted.

Greece and Macedonia have been locked in a dispute over the use of the name Macedonia for almost two decades.

Greece insists that Skopje must change its official name, Republic of Macedonia, if it wants Athens to unblock the country's bids to join NATO and the EU. Greece says the current name implies territorial claims against its own northern province, also called Macedonia.

In 2008 Athens blocked Skopje from becoming a full member of NATO, and last December prevented its smaller neighbour from getting a start date for its EU accession talks.