Macedonia wants EU membership process, Greek talks to run in tandem, FM Dimitrov tells Reuters

FM Dimitrov said to Reuters that Macedonia hopes it has done enough to convince the European Union to start accesion talks while a quarter of a century long row with neighbouring Greece rumbles on. Greece has vetoed the ex Yugoslav republic’s attempts to join both the EU and NATO beacuse according to Dimitrov the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim over Greece’own northerly region of Macedonia. Time it takes to go through the EU membership process might give Greece, which has previously insisted that Skopje use a compound name such as “New” or “Upper” Macedonia, enough comfort that process can be halted if needed. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gave a boost to Macedonia’s EU hopes, and those of Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Kosovo, saying on Wednesday: “We must maintain a credible enlargement perspective for the Western Balkans.