Poland, as future holder of the European Union Presidency, supports the Union's enlargement, Macedonia's accession to the organization and faster settling of the Skopje-Athens name row, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said at a joint press conference with his Macedonian counterpart Antonio Milososki in Skopje Monday, MIA reports.

"We wish Poland's EU Presidency in the second half of 2011 to be ambitious promoting an enlargement of the European family. We are particularly interested in completion of the accession process of the Western Balkan countries. Nobody is going to be happier than me when countries like Macedonia join NATO and the EU. I hope that 2011 will be the year of EU enlargement,” Minister Sikorski said, affirming Poland's readiness to share its EU-integration experience with Macedonia.

Minister Milososki expressed satisfaction with the traditionally close relations between the two countries, which, as he said, set a solid base for bolstering bilateral cooperation.

In this respect, he underlined the significance of a declaration Macedonia and Poland would sign Monday, thus launching the 'Skopje Conference' process under the Dutch-Polish model for supporting the EU accession negotiations.

Under the declaration, Poland will assist Macedonia, when it starts the accession talks, to meet the standards of the EU acquis chapters for justice, internal affairs, common foreign and security policy, Minister Milososki said.

Answering a question from a Polish journalist on the name dispute essence, Minister Milososki said it was difficult to define the problem. It is even more difficult to define the Greek irrational approach to creating this rather unique row, he added.

"In an attempt to give the shortest definition, I would say the dispute is a combination of the Greek national superiority and the Macedonian attempt at defending its national dignity. I believe that with political will and grater EU attention we may find a way to overcome this irrational dispute that has been dragging for 20 years. We appeal for grater responsibility of official Athens, not only in regard to the Republic of Macedonia, but also to the entire region," Minister Milososki said.

Minister Sikorski also met President Gjorge Ivanov, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski. He also addressed the conference 'Macedonia's road to EU' and presented the decoration of honour 'Bene Merito' - an honorable distinction given to Polish and foreign citizens for activities strengthening the position of Poland in the international arena - to ambassador Petre Nakovski and Dr. Tanas Vrazinovski.