Government spokesman Mile Bosnjakovski asked to comment on the expectations of the government and the likelihood the premiers of Macedonia and Greece to close the name issue at their meeting tomorrow in Sofia, said it is crucial step toward a final solution.
“Regarding tomorrow’s meeting of the PMs, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, yesterday Zaev said it was way too early to be expecting something like that. but I believe that this meeting is a step toward a final solution,” the spokesman told a news conference on Wednesday.
Answering a journalist question, Bosnjakovski denied reports published by several German media that the Zaev-Tsipras meeting at the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia would be also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“Chancellor Merkel and PM Zaev will hold a separate meeting, i.e. bilateral talks. Zaev will also meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. There will be no one else at the meeting but Zaev and Tsipras themselves,” Bosnjakovski noted.
The meeting of Zaev and Tsipras in Sofia on Thursday at 10:30h (GMT+3) will be the leaders’ second tête-à -tête talks. In the past few days, the Zaev-Tsipras meeting has been widely reported as being crucial in the process for finding a settlement to the name row.
However, statements from both Macedonia and Greece have been reserved playing down any chances that this meeting could produce a final name agreement.
“I want an agreement for my country, I’m an optimist, but I cannot say that we have an agreement about the name issue,” PM Zaev told reporters on Tuesday.
Moreover, optimism has been blooming in Brussels that Greece and Macedonia can reach an agreement in June.
“There is still no happy ending and there won’t be any this week, but some good progress is made. What’s important is to see a solution to the Greek-Macedonian dispute in early June, which might play a key role in the European Council reaching a positive decision in June,” top EU diplomat told MIA.
