NATO hoped that a "mutually satisfactory resolution" to the Macedonia name issue can be reached through international mediation, a NATO spokesman said in Brussels on Wednesday.
"There has been a positive exchange through (UN Special Envoy) Mr. (Matthew) Nimetz between Skopje and Athens on the issue, and proposals are under discussion," James Appathurai told reporters.
"There seems to be an open-minded spirit on both sides, on all sides, in order to resolve the issue," he added.
NATO hopes that the issue would be resolved before its April 2-4 summit in Bucharest,
Macedonia is one of the hopefuls of being granted NATO membership at the summit. But its bid has been overshadowed by the name issue as Greece has threatened to veto its membership if it did not change its name.
The dispute over the name of Macedonia began in 1946 when the People's Republic of Macedonia was established as part of Yugoslavia and escalated when the republic announced independence in 1991.
Greece has long argued that Macedonia implies territorial claim to the northern Greek province of Macedonia.
Nimetz is planning a meeting with officials from the two countries on Friday in New York to address the dispute.
According to reports from Greece, there would be no face-to-face talks between the two countries' negotiators, and instead Nimetz would meet separately with each delegation.
Appathurai said the NATO foreign ministers will also discuss the Macedonia name issue at their meeting on March 6 in Brussels.
Greece has insisted that Macedonia is properly known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in international organizations such as NATO. But the majority of UN members have recognized Macedonia under its constitutional name -- the Republic of Macedonia.
Nimetz has reportedly put forward a proposal, which was leaked to Greek daily To Vima and identifies five name suggestions: Constitutional Republic of Macedonia, Democratic Republic of Macedonia, Independent Republic of Macedonia, New Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Upper Macedonia.
According to a Greek report, of the five suggestions, Greece wanted to call it "the Republic of Upper Macedonia" to clearly distinguish it from its own region of Macedonia while the former Yugoslav republic prefers "the Independent Republic of Macedonia."
Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has said his country would make clear its position in the coming days concerning Nimetz's name suggestions.
He also indicated that if there was any change to the name of the country, it would be decided through a referendum.
Source: Xinhua
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