Zoran Zaev

Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev is ready to make concessions "if Athens is ready to drop its opposition to Macedonia’s membership of the EU and NATO."

This has been reported by the US website Politico, in an article dedicated to Zaev, and headlined, "Change of guard atop ‘disastrous’ Balkan state."

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Former NATO commander, General James Stavridis, says he thinks FYROM (Macedonia) will the next country to join the western military alliance.

"I hope Greece will be able to resolve the name dispute with Macedonia, which will open the door for Macedonia to become a part of NATO. I think Macedonia will join the alliance," Stavridis told Voice of America.

Macedonian government has approved at today's meeting its draft agreement on friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria, reported BGNES.

This was announced by the government's press service.

The government took a decision to urge Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to sign the treaty.

Next year could be pivotal for the resolution of a longstanding dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) regarding the Balkan state's official name, diplomatic sources have indicated to Kathimerini.

"I congratulate you on today's celebration of the Day of Bulgarian Diplomacy. We have one of the most important tasks in front of us - the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

TRIESTE - Serbia welcomes the Berlin Initiative as Belgrade believes it demonstrates that the EU is maintaining the enlargement agenda, Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said in Trieste Wednesday, adding that consent on a single economic area in the region was a good thing but that the concept could not be accepted as a substitute for EU membership.

FYROM’s new reformist government faces it first big test after a small coalition partner, the DPA – Movement for Reforms, said it would quit the Social Democrat-led government if it fails to adopt a law extending the official use of Albanian by early September.

The governing coalition in FYROM may be dissolved after 100 days in office, if the new bill on a wider use of the Albanian language, is not approved, according to the Independent Balkan News Agency. This warning comes from the Alliance for Albanians, which has three seats in parliament and which enabled the formation of the government led by the social democrat MP, Zoran Zaev.

The leaders of Albanian parties in Macedonia - now part of the government led by Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev - gathered on Wednesday in Skopje to make sure the so-called "Albanian platform" becomes part of the new government's agenda.

Talks with EU on key reforms, trials of politicians and the likely raising of new charges against former officials will make for a packed agenda in Macedonia this week.