Zoran

With talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to resolve the dispute over the latter's name intensifying, FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev insisted on Thursday that even though he is "optimistic" there is still enough time for a deal before the European Council on June 28-29.

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has said that the text of an agreement with Greece on the decades-old name dispute has not been finalized yet, with the Foreign Ministry of the neighboring country noting that the quality of the solution is more important than the time it might take to achieve it. 

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) said Tuesday he was optimistic of a successful outcome in name talks with Greece, adding that he would be speaking with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras by phone within "a matter of days."

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on Sunday it is up to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to make the next move in the ongoing negotiations aiming to resolve the decades-old name row.

Talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the latter's official name, which had appeared to be in the final stretch, seemed to have run into problems on Friday, with a senior Greek government official saying that a deal was not likely to be reached in the coming days. 

Talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the latter's official name, which had appeared to be in the final stretch, seemed to have run into problems on Friday, with a senior Greek government official saying that a deal was not likely to be reached in the coming days. 

With Greece having officially rejected "Ilindenska Makedonija" as a candidate name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, talks have reportedly continued behind the scenes in a bid to break the deadlock and resolve the decades-old dispute.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) said Saturday he is ready to go ahead with a new name for his country in order to solve a decades-long name dispute with Greece and pave the way for full integration of the small Balkan country into the European Union and NATO.

"The Republic of Ilinden Macedonia" is the new proposal for the name of the country, which Skopje offers in the talks to resolve the dispute with Athens, reported Macedonian TV channel A1 On, quoted by FOCUS News Agency. Diplomatic sources say the new name will be for general use, as the Greeks insist.

"Decision makers on both sides should ask themselves in every negotiation process: Could the other be right? That is the only way to reach an understanding," Skopje Mayor Petre Shilegov told Kathimerini in a recent interview.