BALKANS : Macedonia poses Europe a naming problem

Macedonia poses Europe a naming problem Monday 06 October 2008 Greece does not recognise the name "Republic of Macedonia" and Europe is waiting for an agreement to determine if the region can become part of the European Union. For the inhabitants, it is a question of identity. Macedonia is ready to accept a "fair compromise" with Greece in their long-running name row, the ex-Yugoslav republic's president said Thursday, days ahead of fresh UN-mediated talks. However Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, who held talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn in Brussels, admitted that he and his Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, more hardline on the matter, did not agree on the way to resolve the issue. Macedonia is an official EU candidate nation but one of the hurdles to beginning formal membership talks is its more than... [read full story]