Envoy Nimetz insists Athens-Skopje talks will focus only on name issue

25/09/2008

NEW YORK, United States -- UN special envoy Matthew Nimetz reiterated on Wednesday (September 24th) that talks he is brokering between Greece and Macedonia cover only their long-standing name dispute. "The UN will not focus on national identities," he said after meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis in New York. Macedonia has asked in the talks that Athens recognise the existence of a Macedonian ethnic minority in Greece as well.

Later Wednesday, Nimetz met with Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, who briefed Nimetz on his country's position regarding the latest developments within the negotiating process, according to Macedonian media reports. The UN envoy said he will meet with Greek representative Adamantios Vassilakis and Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov in about ten days. (Utrinski Vesnik, A1 - 25/09/08; ANA-MPA, ERT, SKAI, Kathimerini - 24/09/08)