The United States is fully taking over the role of mediator in the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece. Vreme has learned that although UN mediator Matthew Nimetz is still the formal mediator in this dispute, American diplomats will also mediate directly between Skopje and Athens. Indirect proof of this is U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Daniel Freed’s surprise visit to Skopje this weekend. Freed notified the Macedonian state leadership that the United States would try to find a resolution for the name dispute that would satisfy both Macedonia and Greece and which will help avoid a crisis in NATO, by the summit in Bucharest in April.

Vreme has learned unofficially that the U.S. State Department has a precise plan on how things should proceed over the next 20 days. According to this draft plan, U.S. diplomats will hold a series of intensive talks with the Macedonian and Greek Governments this week, to secure a compromise. There is also a chance for Macedonian and Greek officials meeting far from the public’s eyes to assess some of the details. If progress is made in these talks, a meeting would be held between Macedonian and Greek representatives in the talks, Nikola Dimitrov and Adamantios Vassilakis, in Geneva next week. This could be followed by a meeting between Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.