Macedonia ready to solve issue, pressure on Skopje and Athens increases - MEPs

Skopje, February 18 (MIA) - Macedonia must use this short period of a few months to solve the name issue with Greece and start EU accession talks. Pressure on both Skopje and Athens regarding the issue's closure will increase. PM Gruevski demonstrated positive commitment for the issue's settlement, and if it proves real, his Greek colleague George Papandreou should do the same. The dispute is no longer bilateral, it touches upon regional stability.

These are the messages of European Parliament Rapporteur on Macedonia Zoran Thaler, co-chairman of the EU - Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, and committee member Alojz Peterle after Thursday's meeting with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Vice Premiers Vasko Naumovski and Abdilaqim Ademi.

"I am glad to see a positive commitment by PM Gruevski to really focus on negotiations. Therefore, we expect results in the coming weeks. We do not want to Balkanize Europe, but Europeanize the Balkans. If this opportunity, which will last for 3-4 months, is not utilized, delay will cause large problems", stressed German MEP Chatzimarkakis.

Former Slovenian PM and current MEP Peterle stated that Macedonia has done a lot in the process of approximating towards the EU, not just through reforms, but also by building good neighborly relations.

"Macedonia has been a good model in this sense, definitely stabilizing this part of Europe. There is readiness so solve the problem with Greece as neighbor and EU member, and we hope the issue will be settled in the European spirit, meaning mutual respect, i.e. respect of the partners' identity", added Peterle.

MEP Thaler stressed there should be film consensus on the issue by all parties, institutions, civic associations in the country.

"We urge the decision-makers in Macedonia to speak with one voice. Find a mutual position and determine Macedonia's stance in the name issue. This is very important. It is not easy, but when it comes to issues of national interest, this must be done", said Thaler.

MEPs believe that both countries should be blamed for the failure in solving the name issue, but also the European Union, because it did not put more pressure on them.