The name "Republic of Northern Macedonia" is only a geographical determinant that Greece wishes. Any reasonable compromise to be reached with the southern neighbor regarding the name issue will have to be verified in a referendum, said President Gjorge Ivanov in response to the statement of the Greek Ambassador to Washington Alexandros Mallias, aired at the conference about the U.S. politics to the Balkans two days ago.

According to Macedonian Ambassador to the U.S. Zoran Jolevski, Macedonia has to be allowed to join NATO and later the EU upon meeting membership criteria. Jolevski in his address at the conference about the U.S. politics to the Balkans in Washington said Macedonia made a huge and generous compromise in 1995 when it changed its flag and Constitution to meet Greek demands. "Greece is the country that is not ready for a compromise and is constantly delaying the resolution of the problem," he said. In his view, Greece is expanding its demands and has no intention of stopping. Jolevski said last year at the summit in Bucharest Macedonia showed it could accept another compromise, but Greece rejected mediator Nimetz's proposal and vetoed Macedonia's integration with NATO.