"There can be no European or Euro-Atlantic course without prior resolution of the name issue, which is the basis of good neighbourly relations," SETimes.com reports Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis as saying. Hopes for an imminent resolution to the conflict between Greece and Macedonia have now faded completely. Greece and Macedonia used talks opened last week by the UN mediator responsible for overseeing the name dispute, Matthew Nimetz, to reaffirm their respective positions.

After the meeting, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said his country still intended to use the name ‘Republic of Macedonia' in international relations, but could adopt a different formula for bilateral relations with Greece, since the Greeks have such difficulty accepting the Hellenic origin of its neighbour's name.

But the Greek Government rejected a dual denomination, stating once again that it would only accept a single name with a geographical component, such as ‘Northern Macedonia', Nimetz's proposal. Athens is reluctant to show any public support for the UN's proposal, however, instead claiming that Macedonia has no intention of solving the naming dispute, an accusation that Gruevski has also made against his Greek counterpart.

Moreover, the Macedonian Prime Minister is keen to add other controversial issues, such as the Macedonian minority living in Greece, to the current dispute. In recent weeks, Gruevski has been sending letters to various international organizations calling for the Macedonian community in Greece - systematically denied by Athens - to be officially recognized. The Prime Minister has now asked Nimetz to address the issue of the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church in Greece. Gruevski believes the Macedonian Church is "isolated" because of the solidarity between the Serbian and Greek Churches.

Further information:

• SETimes.com: Athens, Skopje trade accusations over deadlocked name talks
• Le Courrier des Balkans: Querelle gréco-macédonienne : Athènes s'indigne des revendications de Skopje
• BalkanInsight.com: US Denies 'Plan' for Macedonia Name
• Nationalia: Further UN talks to solve name dispute between Macedonia and Greece and Skopje's bid to gain international recognition for Greece's Macedonian minority.