The UN mediator in name talks between Macedonia and Greece is going to make a trip to the two countries next week, news from Skopje reported on Friday.
The visit of Matthew Nimetz comes after this week's separate meetings in New York with Macedonian envoy Nikola Dimitrov and Greek negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis.
Nimetz did not come forward with any new proposal on the name issue during the talks. However, he urged the two neighbors to agree to a fresh round of talks.
Athens has been opposed to its neighbor being called the "Republic of Macedonia", arguing it implies a territorial claim over a Greek northern province also called Macedonia.
Macedonia's NATO membership was blocked by Greece over a 17-year-long name dispute between the two countries earlier last month at a NATO summit in Romania.
Although Nimetz has said there are no deadlines for a negotiated settlement of the name issue, July 9 is widely seen as an informal deadline for the two countries to come to a solution.
NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said last month if Macedonia and Greece could reach a compromise by that time, it can sign the NATO accession protocol with Croatia and Albania
Speculation is rife in Macedonia that Greece is trying to pressure Macedonia to make concessions in the talks through taking economic retaliatory measures.
Last Thursday Greece banned the transfer of money to and from Macedonia. All funds from the Western Union and the Greek national bank have been blocked.
Previously, Greek authorities banned Macedonia's national carrier, the Macedonian Airlines, from entering its airspace, due to its very name.
It was said Greek authorities also recalled lamb meat imports from Macedonia.
Source:Xinhua
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