Sun, Jul 05 2009

Lawsuit 'won't affect' Macedonia name talks

Wed, Nov 26 2008 13:05 CET byBalkan Insight 99 Views

Macedonia will continue the UN-sponsored talks with Greece despite Skopje's decision to take Athens to the International Court of Justice, Macedonia's prime minister pledges.

Macedonia is taking Greece before the World Court arguing that Athens breached the United Nations agreement from 1995 by blocking Skopje's Nato membership bid in April. According to the so-called UN Interim Accord, Greece had an obligation not to prohibit Skopje's membership of international organisations if it applied using the provisional reference, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYROM.

"We decided to seek our justice in court after chances for a positive outcome from only the talks have proven to be insufficient. Of course, we will continue the negotiations," prime minister Nikola Gruevski told media after meeting his Norwegian counterpart Jens Stoltenberg in Oslo, Macedonia's government said.

Gruevski added that he would be happy if a mutual agreement on the name issue is reached before the court process ends.

Greece practically blocked Macedonia's Nato membership invitation in April arguing that the country should change its name first. Athens argues that the name Macedonia implies Skopje's territorial claims over its own northern province of the same name.

Macedonia's prime minister is visiting Norway where, among others, he also met with Norway's King Harald V, whom he informed of Macedonia's perspectives and reforms. Gruevski also received support for the country's Nato aspirations.

Military co-operation was also discussed. A Macedonian army medical team is set to join Norwegian peacekeepers in Afghanistan at the beginning of December.

Gruevski together with other members of his government presented the country to Norwegian companies as a fresh business destination with favourable investment conditions.

Macedonia will open its embassy in Norway in the first half of 2009, the government informed.

Macedonia's diplomatic and consular operations are currently performed by the personnel in Macedonia's embassy to Sweden. Norway on the other hand has had its embassy in Macedonia for about a decade.

Source: Balkan Insight

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