ATHENS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Athens expects Skopje to make the next move in resolving the ongoing "Macedonia" name dispute, a spokesman for the Greek government said on Sunday.
"The Greek government is waiting for Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to take the decisive step for an agreement," Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said in an interview broadcast by Greek Kontra TV channel.
Only then can both sides finally move towards a mutually acceptable solution, he added.
Both countries are working toward settling the decades-old dispute this month. The issue began in 1991 when FYROM declared independence from Yugoslavia, choosing the name Macedonia, which is also the name of a northern Greek province.
Athens is worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.
Although the two governments have expressed a determination to resolve the issue, both countries are home to objections by opposition parties and hardliners.
According to a poll released this weekend in Athens, 48.3 percent of respondents said the government should insist on resolving the name issue now instead of later, while 43.9 percent said Greece lacked the right momentum and no rushed decisions should be made.
