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Macedonia urges Greece to settle name row

10 October 2011, 19:52 CET
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(BELGRADE) - Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov Monday called on Greece to put aside "history" and settle a ongoing name dispute with Skopje to help speed up the Western Balkan country's bid to join the EU.

"It is our mission to make Macedonia enter the European Union and NATO," said Ivanov in a speech.

Skopje obtained candidacy status in 2005 but its negotiation process to join the EU has been blocked so far by Greece over a more than two-decade long name row with Macedonia.

Athens insists that the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim on its province of the same name, while Skopje insists the name is essential to its identity.

Ivanov said that Greece has "persistently" been insisting on "historical issues" that have blocked Macedonia's EU bid.

The two countries have been seeking a solution of a name issue that arose after Macedonia proclaimed independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991. UN mediation has so far been fruitless.


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