Matthew Nimetz

Final preparations were under way in Athens and Skopje on Friday for the signing of a historic agreement settling a decades old name dispute between the two Balkan neighbors.

Sunday continued to appear as the most likely day for the signing ceremony, which will take place on the northern shore of Big Prespa Lake, on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's side of the border.

Berlin welcomes an agreement between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on the longstanding name row between the two Balkan neighbors, a spokesman said Wednesday while congratulating the two prime ministers and the UN's special envoy Matthew Nimetz for their diplomatic efforts.

The US State Department said this in a press release issued after the deal was announced.

"This resolution will benefit both countries and bolster regional security and prosperity. Prime Ministers Zaev and Tsipras demonstrated vision, courage, and persistence in their pursuit of a mutually acceptable solution," the press release said.

Washington has welcomed a deal between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the name issue with a State Department statement saying that "the historic agreement… will benefit both countries and bolster regional security and prosperity."

United Nations envoy Matthew Nimetz has welcomed a deal between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on the name dispute, saying that the agreement will bring "mutual benefits."

In a statement released Tuesday, Nimetz voiced his confidence that the agreement will strengthen relations between the two Balkan neighbors "and especially between their people."

Talks to resolve a decades-old dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the latter's name have narrowed, and ministers will continue negotiations in Brussels, United Nations envoy Matthew Nimetz said on Friday.

The second round of talks between the foreign ministers of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to resolve the decades-old name dispute got under way at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York on Friday.

Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov will be discussing the name issue in the presence of UN mediator Matthew Nimetz.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias (l), his counterpart Nikola Dimitrov of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) (r) and UN mediator for the name dispute Matthew Nimetz share a handshake ahead of their meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.

Macedonia and Greece need to show leadership over the latest proposal for a solution to the "name" dispute, which includes the name "Republic of Ilinden Macedonia" for all uses; otherwise they risk taking a step back in the ongoing "name" talks, Macedonia's Foreign Minister, Nikola Dimitrov, said on Sunday.

Athens said Monday it welcomed Skopje's acceptance of a Greek demand that any name agreed between the two countries be "erga omnes," i.e. to be used domestically and internationally, adding however that the two sides would ideally agree on one of the names proposed by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz.