The name issue was tabled at the meeting between Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki and his Greek counterpart Evangelos Venizelos during Venizelos’s visit to Skopje Thursday in the capacity of Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the EU.

“This is an issue that we need to discuss openly because we know it is the main obstacle on our path to the EU and NATO. However, I don’t believe the other side is dedicated to this issue enough so its resolution can move forward. We are definitely going to remain focused on what depends on us—conducting reforms to make Macedonia a better place to live and we are going to remain open for dialogue in any place, at any time and in any format,” Minister Poposki said after the meeting.

As to why Venizelos refused to hold a joint press conference with his Macedonian counterpart after their meeting, which has not been the case in the other countries he has so far visited, Minister Poposki said: “Perhaps he did not like the background” referring to the panel bearing the official name of the Republic of Macedonia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in front of which the press conference should have been held.