Merkel pushes for name deal

In what is seen as an expression of Berlin's eagerness to see a solution to the decades-old name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the latter's name, German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the matter in a phone conversation with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday.

The German leader also spoke with FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

No details were available about what was said during the two conversations as neither Athens nor Skopje want Merkel's call to be perceived as a German intervention to bridge the gap between the two sides.

The German chancellor's initiative comes after last week's phone call between Tsipras and US Vice President Mike Pence, and reflects growing international pressure for a deal.

The name dispute will be on the agenda of Wednesday's meeting in New York between Foreign...

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