Nimetz: The Prespa Agreement was probably the highlight of my career


US diplomat Matthew Nimetz that had served as mediator in the Skopje-Athens name dispute for the past 25 years, has admitted that leading up to the signing of the 2018 Prespa Agreement he wasn’t sure the whole process would be completed, having doubts even after it was signed. Nimetz says he will remember the day […]

“Prespа Time” for Athens


Since early Wednesday morning the debate on the Prespа Agreement from the plenary session of the Greek Parliament is underway, in the midst of intense political controversy. The MPs of New Democracy speak of “opacity” and “violation of the Agreement” on the part of Macedonia. In particular, they attack the government on the grounds that […]

Nimetz: Failure to ratify Prespa Agreement would have profound consequences


UN mediator Matthew Nimetz  for the name dispute talks between Greece and Macedonia, said that failure to ratify the Prespa Agreement would have profound consequences for both sides, Kathimerini reports. “If the Prespa Agreement does not come into effect, the consequences of the failure will be profound and both sides might well reconsider many elements […]

Nimetz urges Athens to ratify the Prespa Agreement


UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, who acted as the mediator in the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia deal , has asked Athens to ratify the deal as Skopje has completed its internal legal procedures. Skopje on Wednesday formally informed the Greek government of its ratification of the deal known as the Prespa Agreement, following a parliamentary […]

Nimetz: This historic agreement opens the door to new relationship


United Nations mediator in the name negotiations Matthew Nimetz welcomed the final steps taken by the Macedonian Parliament towards implementing the Prespa Agreement. ‘I welcome the final steps taken by the Parliament of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia towards the implementation of the Prespa Agreement. I wish to congratulate the Parliament and the country’s citizens […]

Nimetz: It is a risk to wait for a new name agreement


25 years have passed, and it can be as many more before a new agreement is reached if this one doesn’t pass, the UN mediation in the name dispute Matthew Nimetz said in an interview with BIRN regarding the dispute over the reached agreement between Macedonia and Greece. According to him, the idea of long-term […]

Nimetz’s birthday becomes “birthday” of the name agreement


When he took over the mediation between Macedonia and Greece about two decades ago, Matthew Nimetz probably did not expect that he would end his efforts to overcome the name dispute in almost the end of the eighth decade of his life, and that only then he could finally retire, in the true sense of […]

Nimetz: Name deal required wise leadership and strategic vision


The UN name mediator in the Macedonia-Greece negotiations, Matthew Nimetz, said Sunday he had received the best birthday gift with the signing of the agreement that finally closes the decades-long name dispute. Nimetz praised the premiers of Macedonia and Greece, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, as well as the countries’ foreign ministers, Nikola Dimitrov and […]

Mediator Nimetz welcomes Skopje-Athens name agreement


The United Nations mediator in Greece-Macedonia name negotiations,   Matthew Nimetz, welcomed Tuesday  a deal reached between the Prime Ministers of both countries, calling it a mutually beneficial solution for the broader region. ‘I would like to congratulate the parties for reaching a successful conclusion to the talks and for resolving the difference between them. I am […]

Zaev: I’m hopeful that today we will come to an agreement with Tsipras


“There’s still no deal, but today I am hopeful that I will come to an agreement with PM Alexis Tsipras”, said PM Zoran Zaev after his participation in a business forum held in Skopje. “Today we’re going to discuss essential things regarding the final solution of this issue. If we come to an agreement, then […]

PM Tsipras: We clearly stated that we are negotiating on Nimetz’s four proposals


The government clearly stated that it was negotiating with Skopje on the basis of the four names, proposed by the UN, namely the package of suggestion tabled by mediator Matthew Nimetz, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Wednesday in response to the criticism of the opposition ‘New Democracy’ leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the name ‘Republic of Ilinden Macedonia’. […]

Kotzias urges acceptance of a name proposed by Nimetz


Greece supports the need to adopt one of the names proposed by UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, said Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Although the name issue was not raised in their meeting, the Greek FM said it was discussed during his meeting earlier with Wess Mitchell, […]

Dimitrov and Kotzias to meet UN’s Nimetz on May 24-25 in New York


Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov on May 24-25 in New York will hold a meeting with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias with the UN special envoy, Matthew Nimetz, also in attendance, Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday. The meeting was also announced in a statement by the Greek Foreign Ministry around the same time […]

Greece calls for ‘geographical or chronological qualifier’


In accordance with Nimetz’s proposal, a name solution should be reached containing either a geographical or chronological qualifier, reads a statement of the Greek PM’s office apparently dismissing the latest proposal ‘Republic of Ilinden Macedonia’. The press release of Alexis Tsipras’ office, issued on Saturday evening, comments on the statement of Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev. “We welcome […]

Dimitrov-Kotzias-Nimetz meeting on Saturday in Sounio, Greece


Tomorrow in Sounio near Athens, Dimitrov, Kotzias and Nimetz will continue the name negotiations on which depends Macedonia’s accession to the European Union. It remains to be seen whether the parties this time will be able to overcome the differences about the problematic issues. The new meeting in Athens is preceded by a meeting between […]

Roth: Both sides are ready to resolve the name dispute


“Unless the name dispute is resolved this year, the status quo will linger on for years,” Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, said during the press conference held together with PM Zoran Zaev on Thursday. Roth said that both sides were willing to make a mutually acceptable compromise, […]

Zaev and Tsipras to meet in Sofia on May 17


A meeting between Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras is planned in Sofia on May 17, unless something unpredictable happens, according to Greek web-portal News247. Diplomatic sources told News247 that despite existing difficulties, important progress has been achieved in majority of the topics within the negotiations, despite the main differences over the name use. According to the […]

Dimitrov and Kotzias to meet Nimetz in Athens on May 12


The foreign ministers of Macedonia and Greece and the UN name envoy, Matthew Nimetz, will hold a fresh meeting on May 12 in Athens, MIA’s Athens correspondent has learned. Ministers Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias will meet with the UN mediator a day after the conference slated to take place next Friday in Sounio, Greece. Speaking at a news […]

Macedonia: After the Vienna meeting


Yesterday’s meeting held in Vienna for the solution of the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece was the main headline today in Skopje. According to the media, the UN’s negotiator Matthew Nimetz said that he was optimistic that the sides are committed to solving this contest, but nothing was made public as to what was discussed […]

New round of name talks today in Vienna


Macedonian and Greek foreign ministers Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias and the UN mediator Matthew Nimetz are to hold fresh meeting on Wednesday afternoon in Vienna. The previous meeting in the same format was also held in Vienna on March 30. Meanwhile, Kotzias and Dimitrov held bilateral meeting on April 12 in Ohrid. Kotzias told […]