"There is no Macedonian minority in Greece. There never has been. Any allegations regarding the existence of such a minority and totally unfounded, politically motivated and disrespectful of the historic realities of the Region".
On occasion of the 60th anniversary from the exodus of 28,000 Macedonian children during the Civil War in Greece, the fourth World Meeting of Children-Refugees from the Aegean part of Macedonia will be held in Skopje on July 18-21.
Erik Meijer, MEP and EP Rapporteur for the relations between the Republic of Macedonia and EU expects Macedonia to start EU talks in the first half of 2009, during Czech EU Presidency.
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis, in which he focuses on the issue involving ethnic Macedonians born in Greece regarding the return of their properties, the possibility of traveling to Greece and obtaining citizenship, as well as on the recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece to enjoy basic rights in line with international standards.
NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer reiterated on Tuesday that resolution of Macedonian-Greek dispute over the name requires flexibility from both countries, in particular from Skopje.
Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski warned that the country won't receive date for membership negotiations with the European Union if the opposition does not return to the Parliament, for which he offered a solution.
Defense reforms within the Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM) are being realised according to planned dynamics and with the required quality, Security Council members concluded attending the session on Wednesday, which was held in the Ministry of Defense.
On occasion of August 2-Ilinden, Day of the Republic, U.S. President George Bush sent a note of congratulations to Macedonian counterpart Branko Crvenkovski.
EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere called on political parties boycotting the parliament to come back without any delays and start doing the job they have been elected for by Macedonian citizens.
Macedonian Parliament adopted yesterday once again the Law on Usage of Languages, i.e. the language spoken by at least 20 percent of citizens in the Republic of Macedonia and units of local self-government.
Matthew Nimetz, the UN special envoy assigned to mediate the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece will meet with negotiators of both countries in New York on 14-15 August.
The Southern Balkan region has been characterized by a pervasion of organized crime syndicates over the past decades due to the dramatic political developments and their geographical placement close to Turkey and the Asian-European contraband routes.
The new Conservative government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who has pledged to make accession to EU and NATO his top priority, was approved by the parliament in Skopje on Saturday (26 July). But an ongoing row with Greece looks to remain a key obstacle to the country's EU aspirations.
Serbia is going to present a resolution to the United Nations in which it will ask the UN General Assembly to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence, Serbian FM Vuk Jeremic told a news conference in Cairo
Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki says his country is prepared to strike “a reasonable compromise” with Greece in the ongoing name dispute, but will not accept a dictate from Athens.
The United States' chief negotiator in the ongoing talks over North Korea's nuclear program, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill, made a homecoming of sorts this week when he traveled to Macedonia to be decorated as an honorary citizen of its capital, Skopje.
Impunity continued for war crimes committed in 2001 and in cases of torture and ill-treatment. Little progress was made in the reform of the police and the judiciary. Discrimination against minorities, particularly Roma, continued.
The inter-parliamentary commission for cooperation with the Republic of Macedonia, which was formed by the Australian Parliament, held its initial session today, at which the guidelines were set for quick and broad improvement of the cooperation between the two countries.
It is time for Greece and Macedonia to reach a settlement over the long standing “name” row, the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza, said on Monday in Brussels according to reports.
The Government is fully committed and will invest the required reform energy and resources so that Macedonia welcomes 2009 with EU free visa regime, said Vice Premier Ivica Bocevski on Tuesday's closure of the project for technical assistance to the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in establishment of the National Visa Center Information Center (N-VIS).
Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, and Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, pays a visit Tuesday and Wednesday to Macedonia.
Trial on case "tortured 'Mavrovo' construction workers", which is one of the four cases from the 2001 conflict that were returned in Macedonia by the Hague Tribunal, was postponed Tuesday in Skopje Basic Court-1 due to the absence of majority of defendants. The new trial is scheduled on October 17.
Top officials at late Tuesday's coordination meeting defined and reaffirmed the position of the Republic of Macedonia in light of the new round of Macedonian - Greek name talks, which will be held Thursday in New York.
Macedonia said it wants to be called Macedonia. We recognize that. And if Macedonia says to the international community that it wants to be referred to by another name, and that is fully supported and agreed upon by the Macedonia Government and the Macedonian people, I'm not sure that we would differ, said U.S. State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack
A high-level delegation of Macedonian government will be heading to New York today to attend the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly, set to open on 23 September.
Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki is scheduled to meet Friday in Paris with Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyiannis at the sidelines of EU-Central Asia Forum, organized by the French EU Presidency, confirmed the Macedonian Foreign Ministry.
White House hopeful, Democratic candidate Barack Obama voiced his support for Greece's positions in the name row with Macedonia, reads Tuesday's edition of Athens daily "Kathimerini".
President Branko Crvenkovski and Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki take part at the 63rd UN General Assembly in New York, which begins on Tuesday and lasts through September 27.
Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski expects that President Branko Crvenkovski will meet Greece’s Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis within the framework of the UN General Assembly
President Branko Crvenkovski had a meeting Monday in New York with representatives of the National Albanian-US Council, his Cabinet said in a press release.
I hope for Athens and Skopje to soon come to a mutually acceptable solution to the name row, thus enabling Macedonia's accession to NATO, which is strongly supported by the United States, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday in New York after meeting Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.
Macedonia is ready for fair compromise with Greece over name differences, and it wants a reasonable settlement that would not question the national and cultural identity, Macedonian president said.
President Branko Crvenkovski has missed a great chance during his stay in New York to find a solution to the name row with Greece, considering that many significant figures, conected with the dispute, were there and expressed will to that effect, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has convened a leaders' meeting for Monday, also including President Branko Crvenkovski, Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki and name negotiator Nikola Dimitrov.
Mediator in the Macedonia-Greece name talks, Matthew Nimetz held separate meetings late Tuesday in New York with Greek negotiator Adamantios Vasilakis, followed by Macedonian negotiator Nikola Dimitrov and Chief of PM's Cabinet Martin Protoger, reports Voice of America in Macedonian language.
The final version of the proposal to be presented next week by UN Mediator Matthew Nimetz will set a ground for referendum in Macedonia, A1 TV said on Thursday.
Kosovo's position on the name of Macedonia is in line with the stands of the United States and the European Union, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Monday.
Macedonia's primary strategic interest is preservation of its name, and the second is entry in NATO and EU. A fair solution must be found in the name dispute with Greece.
The visa regime could be liberalised in the course of 2009, if the reform process continues, stated EU Special Representative and Head of the European Commission delegation to Skopje Erwan Fouere after Tuesday's Skopje conference on EU project "Support to Municipalities on Public Funds Management".
Kosovo recognizes Macedonia under its constitutional name and Pristina will recognize its neighbor under name Macedonia, Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni told BBC, MIA reports from Tirana
Macedonia's Government decided late Thursday to recognize Kosovo. The decision was made in coordination with Montenegro's Government, which formally recognized Kosovo as an independent country earlier today.
Western pressure is growing for Macedonia and Greece to accept a compromise over their 17-year-long name dispute, which has prevented the small nation from joining NATO and advancing on its path to EU integration.
Greece intends to play a waiting game on the Macedonia name issue, letting the Macedonia first state its position before Athens reveals whether it is happy with the latest proposal made by United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz.
Meeting the eight benchmarks, enabling fair and democratic elections to be held, but also settling the name dispute with Greece are the preconditions which Macedonia is bound to meet in order to obtain a date for start of EU membership negotiations, Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement underlined after his meeting with Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski in Brussels on Thursday.
