The period between November and next February will be crucial in the activation of the negotiating process and reaching compromise over the name issue, reads Greek daily "Kathimerini".
According to the paper, mediator Matthew Nimetz will be very active during this period, taking into account the results of the local elections in Macedonia.
"Kathimerini" says the outcome of the elections, in which SDSM and its leader Zoran Zaev emerged as convincing winners and the opposition VMRO-DPMNE of Nikola Gruevski suffered a huge defeat, will speed up the Athens-Skopje negotiating process on the name issue.
"The performance by Zaev, who is considered by the West as a moderate politician capable of leading the country in its European and Euro-Atlantic integration, has surprised even the most meticulous analysts, who predicted a certain balance of power between the two major parties", says "Kathimerini".
It adds that Athens is monitoring developments in Macedonia and expects the rhetoric used by PM Zaev and Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov to be followed by practical steps undertaken in reaching a name compromise.
