Greece and Macedonia to Negotiate Naming Dispute in Switzerland

Leaders of Greece and Macedonia have announced that this week, on the sidelines of the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, they will continue negotiations to resolve a naming dispute that has lasted for over three decades. A spokesperson for the Greek government announced on Monday that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece will meet with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of Macedonia on Thursday. Athens argues that the name 'Macedonia' creates the impression that the country is extending its sovereignty over the northern region of Macedonia, which also includes the port city of Thessaloniki. Greece has objected to the use of this name since 1991, when Macedonia declared independence. This dispute has hindered Macedonia's negotiations for joining the European Union and NATO. Officials from Greece and Macedonia have stated that they hope to resolve this issue within the current year. Last week, the two sides held talks in New York, mediated by the United Nations, which did not yield results. However, media reports indicate that several names have been discussed in the negotiations. According to a draft document from the European Western Balkans Commission, which was recently reviewed by a reporter from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Macedonia must begin EU accession negotiations by the end of 2019, but a prerequisite for this is resolving the naming dispute with Greece. Greece's demand is for Macedonia to change its name and add a suffix such as 'Northern' or 'New' to clarify that Macedonia has no claim over the province of Macedonia in northern Greece. Nevertheless, many people in Greece still oppose this solution. Last Sunday, a large number of people protested in Thessaloniki, stating that no reference to 'Macedonia' should appear in the proposed name. Currently, at the United Nations, the official title of Macedonia is 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.' However, the UN Security Council has accepted that this name is temporary. The official title of Macedonia at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is also 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,' but many countries, including Russia and the United States, have accepted the name mentioned in the country's constitution, 'Republic of Macedonia.'