The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, in anticipation of the upcoming visit of Ambassador Matthew Nimetz to the Republic of Macedonia, called a coordination meeting of state leadership on the course of the talks for overcoming the problem that Greece has with our constitutional name, led under the UN auspices.

The coordination meeting was attended by the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Trajko Veljanoski, the President of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Musa Xhaferi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Popovski and the Special Envoy of the President in the name talks, Ambassador Zoran Jolevski.

At the meeting, Ambassador Jolevski briefed on the talks with Ambassador Nimetz in January.

Conclusion of the meeting, in anticipation of the visit of Ambassador Nimetz, is that the Republic of Macedonia remains firmly committed to resolving this issue. The Macedonian state leadership welcomed the visit of Ambassador Nimetz to Macedonia and Greece, hoping that it will contribute to the continuation of the talks on overcoming the difference over the name. The judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which found that the Greek blockade of Macedonia s invitation to join NATO at the Summit in Bucharest in 2008 was unjustified, in an unambiguous, objective and impartial manner confirmed that the Republic of Macedonia has based its positions in the past period on the international law and respect for good neighborly relations.

The Republic of Macedonia, as before, actively and constructively participates in the process and as a party having serious approach in the talks expects and hopes for the same activity, severity and constructiveness on the other side.