Hope for deal on Macedonia name row

For nearly two decades, the two neighbours have been at loggerheads over the use of the name Macedonia and negotiations have been fruitless.

SKOPJE, February 24, 2010 (AFP) - The UN's lead mediator in the 19-year row between Athens and Skopje over the name Macedonia said Wednesday he was optimistic a deal could soon be reached.

"I think we have governments in both countries that are serious and able to deal with this issue," Matthew Nimetz told reporters after meeting Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

"I think that this is a right time to resolve it," Nimetz said, adding that the international community hoped "to get it solved."

Nimetz on Tuesday began a new round of talks in Skopje and will head to Athens for more discussions.

For nearly two decades, the two neighbours have been at loggerheads over the use of the name Macedonia and UN-sponsored negotiations have so far proved fruitless.

Macedonia joined the UN in 1993 under the provisional name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

But Greece -- which has a northern province called Macedonia -- considers the name to be part of its heritage.

Athens has insisted the name dispute be resolved before it agrees to the start of Macedonia's EU accession talks, which requires unanimous support from all EU members.

Macedonia, an official EU candidate nation since December 2005, has not yet begun any of the detailed negotiations required prior to membership.

Last year, Greece also blocked Skopje's membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).