FYROM and Greece back to the name game bargaining table

The United Nations envoy on the long-stalled name resolution talks between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece was set to talk to both sides again in an yet another attempt to push for a resolution to the more than 25-year-old dilemma.

American lawyer Matthew Nimetz, who has failed to get either side to budge despite years of occasionally trying, said in a press release that, “The meeting is part of the United Nations’ efforts to assist the sides in finding a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue,” repeating what he’s said before without success.

He was scheduled to meet FYROM’s negotiator Vasko Naumovski and his Greek counterpart, Adamantios Vasilakis, as well as teams from foreign ministries on both sides amid hopes that a softening on the Skopje side with a new government in place would finally lead to a breakthrough.

It wasn’t clear whether Nimetz would put another acronym name on the table for FYROM as all previous attempts have included the word Macedonia that Greece gave away when allowing the use of FYROM and has been trying to take back ever since, despite agreeing to geographical qualifiers, such as Northern Macedonia or Upper Macedonia.

Those cases, however, would still allow the use of the word Macedonia, the preferred title in headlines. Greece, whose northern province, Macedonia, abuts FYROM, has blocked its neighbor’s hopes of joining NATO and the European Union until the two countries decide on a mutually-agreed name for international use although many countries already called FYROM by Macedonia, enraging Greece

It is not yet clear whether Nimetz will immediately come out with a fresh name proposal for Macedonia during the new talks or revive some old proposals.

It’s been more than three years since the two sides had UN participation in the talks.