Macedonia's Gruevski wants Greece to recognise Macedonian Orthodox Church

13/08/2008

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sent a letter on Tuesday (August 12th) to Matthew Nimetz, UN envoy in the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece, asking for inclusion of Greek recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church in talks this week between Athens and Skopje. "I am asking you, if possible, to include this issue as well in your attempts to find a solution to the dispute about our constitutional name," Gruevski was quoted as saying by the Skopje-based daily Dnevnik. He added that this issue should be among Nimetz's priorities. Last month, he asked that recognising what Skopje describes as the Macedonian minority in Greece be covered as well. A new round of talks on the name dispute begins Wednesday in New York, a day earlier than initially planned. (ANA-MPA - 13/08/08; Dnevnik, Makfax, AKI, MRT - 12/08/08)