Matthew Nimetz, the mediator seeking to get Athens and Skopje to agree on a compromise name for Macedonia, has offered a “draft name with a geographic determinant”, according to a report by Macedonia Radio and Television (MRT).

Speaking after a meeting at United Nations headquarters in New York, involving Macedonian negotiator Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Adamantios Vassilakis, Nimetz declined to give the precise name but said that it “included elements from previous proposals. It is not 100 per cent of Skopje’s and Athens’s wishes, but I hope that the countries’ governments will seriously review it as a possibility for a reasonable compromise”.

MRT reported that Nimetz said that the name “with a geographic dimension” could represent a basis for a fair solution. He said that there was no time limit to the negotiating process, and if needed, a new meeting could be scheduled.

Many observers have noted that the latest negotiations are taking place against the background of the Nato summit in Bucharest, beginning on April 2, at which Macedonia is expecting to be invited to join the alliance. However, unless a compromise on Macedonia’s name is reached, Greek could veto a membership invitation.

The next scheduled discussions are to take place at the European Union foreign ministers’ meeting in Slovenia on March 29 and 30.

The online edition of Greek daily Kathimerini reported on March 26 that Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski had said before the talks at the UN that Greece was trying to “blackmail” Macedonia about the name issue.

Referring to the apparent trade-off of a compromise over the name in return for Greek not blocking the Nato membership invitation, Gruevski said: “The situation now is that Greece intends to use its veto if we do not accept its blackmail. We cannot accept blackmail.”

Gruevski said that Macedonia would not go ahead with any further talks with Greece if Athens decided to use its veto.

Kathimerini reported Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis as responding: “Mr Gruevski’s comments, just a few hours before today’s crucial meeting within the UN framework, do not help the whole effort as they predict a negative outcome. We believe in this process and will not follow this line of thinking.”

Bakoyannis indicated that time was running out for finding a solution to the dispute before the Nato, summit but that a “consensual, practical and enforceable” compromise could be reached.