UN Mediator Makes New Proposal for Macedonia Name

Macedonia`s president said last month the talks with Greece could be frozen for a year, blocking its integration with NATO and the EU.

A U.N. mediator presented a new proposal on Wednesday to resolve a dispute between Greece and Macedonia over the former Yugoslav state's name, a thorny issue that has halted Skopje's bid to join NATO.

The dispute dates to 1991, when Yugoslavia disintegrated. Greece objects to the name Macedonia because it is also the name of Greece's northernmost province.

U.N. mediator Matthew Nimetz said he had presented a new set of ideas for a settlement to ambassadors of both countries after meetings at U.N. headquarters in New York.

"My ideas are based on a lot of thought and consideration of what might be a reasonable settlement and they do, in my view, represent an honorable, dignified, workable proposal for a settlement," Nimetz told reporters.

Nimetz declined to give details of his proposals, and said he did not set a deadline.

"We talked about having some communications in a couple of weeks," Nimetz said, adding that reports this would be his last proposal after 10 years of mediation were not accurate.

"I don't think a mediator is in a position to throw down an ultimatum," he said.

Macedonia's president said last month the talks with Greece could be frozen for a year, blocking its integration with NATO and the EU, unless they reach a compromise in coming weeks.

In an interview with Reuters in September, President Branko Crvenkovski said elections in both countries in the first half of 2009 would create the wrong atmosphere for talks.

Macedonia had hoped to receive an invitation to join NATO earlier this year along with Albania and Croatia, but Greece blocked the move. Macedonia won EU candidate status in 2005 but is awaiting an annual European Commission status report before it can move forward in the next stage of talks.

Greece says "Macedonia" describes its northernmost province, where Alexander the Great was born. Athens has called on Skopje to adopt a compound name such as "New" or "Upper" Macedonia but no mutually acceptable formula has been found.

Skopje prefers the name Republic of Macedonia. The United Nations calls it "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."