Matthew Nimetz

A website in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on Thursday published the five names it claims United Nations negotiator Matthew Nimetz brought to table in talks the previous day between representatives from Athens and Skopje.

U.N. mediator Matthew Nimetz presented new proposals Wednesday to resolve a 25-year-old dispute between Greece and Macedonia over the Balkan nation's name and said he should know within two months whether progress can be made.

Nimetz told reporters after meeting with negotiators from both countries he is "very hopeful that this process is moving in a positive direction."

The Greek government is prepared to do what it can to resolve a lingering dispute with neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the latter's name, spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on Thursday.

Skopje raised new obstacles to a solution to the name dispute with Athens after its chief negotiator said on Wednesday in New York that the proposal submitted by United Nations special mediator Matthew Nimetz was "far from dignified." 

Skopje raised new obstacles to a solution to the name dispute with Athens after its chief negotiator said on Wednesday in New York that the proposal submitted by United Nations special mediator Matthew Nimetz was "far from dignified." 

More than 140 countries already refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as "Republic of Macedonia," deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis said on Wednesday, adding that the Greek government wants an agreement on a composite name that will be used by everyone.

Ahead of Wednesday's meeting between delegates from Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in New York, United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz said on Tuesday that his proposal to resolve the decades-old name dispute will include the term "Macedonia." 

It would be hard to disagree with comments made by the UN mediator in Greece's name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Matthew Nimetz, who said Sunday that "there's nothing totally new, there's no new magic, we know what the problems are."

In an interview with state broadcaster ERT, the United Nations special mediator in the name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Matthew Nimetz, stressed the need for negotiations aimed at resolving the disagreement to be completed and citizens to focus on a resolution.

Tuesday's meeting in New York between United Nations special envoy Matthew Nimetz and negotiators from Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will kick-start a two-week period of activity which could prove pivotal to the course of talks over name dispute that has divided the two countries for decades.