No Compromise In Macedonia Dispute

Skopje _ The gap between Greece and Macedonia remains, the United Nations mediator in the 'name' dispute told media during his visit to Skopje on Wednesday.

Matthew Nimetz did not offer any new proposals for a solution to Macedonia’s President Branko Crvenkovski as they met along with the rest of the country’s leadership.

“The government here has serious issues concerning my proposal from February 19,” Nimetz told media adding that a number of his ideas were discussed “in detail” during the meeting.

He praised the discussion in Skopje saying it was “very good”.

Nimetz announced he will soon brief the Greek negotiating team of the outcome of his talks in Skopje.

The meeting comes just days after the last round of negotiations between the two countries ended without success in New York and one day before Thursday’s meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels where a decision on whether Macedonia will be invited to join the alliance is expected to be reached. Skopje hopes to receive a formal invitation to join the alliance at NATO's Bucharest Summit in April.

Earlier in the day during his Wednesday visit to Bulgaria, Crvenkovski said that Greece has obligations under the UN not to impose a veto on its smaller neighbour.

“The provisional agreement is still in force and, hypothetically speaking, if Greece blocks Macedonia’s NATO entry that would mean a violation of the agreement from one of the sides,” Crvenkovski told media.

Athens opposes Skopje’s use of its constitutional name “Republic of Macedonia”, arguing it implies Skopje's territorial claims over its own northern province of Macedonia.

Senior officials in Athens have repeatedly warned they will veto Macedonia's bid for NATO membership if a solution to the dispute is not found.

In 1995, the two countries signed a UN-sponsored deal that among other things restrains Greece from using vetoes to halt Macedonia’s membership of international organizations if Skopje joins under its provisional name “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.

At the UN-sponsored talks, Skopje has defended its position for a so-called double formula that envisages one mutually acceptable name for bilateral relations with Greece and using its constitutional name "Republic of Macedonia" for the rest of the world.

Athens on the other hand argues Skopje should accept a single name for international correspondence as well as for home use.

Media speculate that this is a last ditch attempt initiated by the United States to finding a quick compromise to the 17-year old dispute ahead of the forthcoming NATO summit.