SKOPJE, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian leaders said they are ready to resolve the name dispute with Greece without compromising the national identity, as the UN mediator arrived in the country.
Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev Thursday met Matthew Nimetz, the UN special representative for mediating in the name issue between Greece and Macedonia, in Skopje.
"Zaev and Nimetz have agreed that dialogue should continue. This is the best way to achieve compromise and an acceptable solution which will respect our national identity and the dignity of the two nations," the prime minister's press office said.
Macedonian President George Ivanov said a constructive approach to find a solution without threatening the national identity would continue.
Hristijan Mickoski, leader of Macedonia's largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, also told the UN envoy that the solution must not threaten the national interests of Macedonians.
Earlier, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov met with Nimetz and requested a dignified solution to the name issue that would be in the best interest of Macedonia and its citizens.
Both Macedonian leaders and the top UN diplomat are in favor of a compromise, considering that this is an obstacle Macedonia needs to overcome to join the NATO and European Union (EU).
Macedonia is formally called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the UN. However, Macedonia is also the name of a northern province in Greece and the Greek authorities are worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.
During the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, Greece vetoed FYROM's application to enter the alliance without having resolved the name issue. While Macedonia has renewed its efforts to join the EU and NATO, Greece has signaled that its position remains unchanged.
Last month in Davos, Switzerland, Zaev declared in a joint press statement with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras that Macedonia would soon change the name of its Skopje airport and main boulevard, both named after ancient king Alexander the Great, to show it has no territorial claims on Greece.
The meeting between Zaev and Tsipras was good news in terms of solving the name row, the EU Ambassador to Macedonia, Samuel Zbogar, told reporters in Skopje at that time.
The last round of negotiations between representatives of the two countries and Nimetz was held in New York on Jan. 17.
