Zaev: ‘name issue’ solution necessary for NATO entry; predicts ‘positive developments’ from talks

The prime minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM), Zoran Zaev, this week reiterated that his land-locked country in the middle of the southern Balkans cannot enter the NATO alliance until the resolution of the quarter-century-old “name issue”.

Greece and its northern neighbor enjoy close trade and economic ties, although a full normalization stumbles on the “name issue”, with Athens taking offense to the “Republic of Macedonia”, the name of Greece’s largest province, Macedonia.

On his part, Zaev, speaking to the state-run MIA news agency, said he expects positive developments from a new meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Ohrid next week. He added that such progress in negotiations may lead to a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and himself.