Macedonian president invites Greek counterpart on first official visit
(SKOPJE) - Macedonian President George Ivanov on Wednesday invited his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias to make a first official visit for talks to resolve an 18-year dispute with Athens over his country's name.
"In relations between Macedonia and Greece there are more things that link us and get us closer to each other than those that divide us," Ivanov said in a letter to Papoulias.
"I am deeply convinced that as heads of two neighbouring states we will definitely provide an additional impulse to strengthening friendly relations in the interest of our citizens and our two countries," Ivanov said, according to a statement from his press office.
If it goes ahead the visit will be the first since Macedonia proclaimed independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.
The two countries have been at loggerheads over the right to the name Macedonia -- which is shared by a northern Greek province -- since Skopje decided to secede from Belgrade.
United Nations-led negotiations on the issue have proved fruitless ever since, and Greece has used its veto to prevent Macedonia becoming a member of NATO.
The name issue has also slowed Macedonia's integration into the European Union.
Macedonia was granted EU candidate status in 2005, but it was not invited to start accession negotiation talks until last month.
Greece has threatened to veto the beginning of the talks if a solution is not found for the dispute.
Meanwhile UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in Athens Wednesday that his special envoy on the issue, Matthew Nimetz, was prepared to launch new talks when the two countries are ready.
"My special envoy hopes to keep up the momentum for development on the main issue between Greece and FYROM," Ban said, using the UN-recognised acronym standing for Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Speaking after talks with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, Ban said, "I hope that my envoy is set to restart the process of negotiations when parties are ready and I am happy that the prime minister told me that Greece is ready and will fully support and facilitate this effort."
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