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EU urges Macedonia to resolve name dispute with Greece

05 September 2011 17:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A top European Union (EU) official on Monday urged Macedonia to settle its name dispute with Greece, which has troubled the two neighbors for the past 20 years, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"A name settlement is good for the country, for the people and businesses. Your country deserves to be a part of the positive picture," EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule told a joint press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Macedonia and Greece has been locked in a 20-year-long name dispute as Athens insisted that the name of Macedonia implies territorial ambitions over Greek northern province of the same name and demands Macedonia change it.

"However, the EU will not take over the name issue. If there is no solution the country risks falling behind," Fule warned, while Gruevski assured him that Macedonia would focus on resolving the name issue.

Gruevski said Macedonia would stay "proactive and constructive under the auspicies of the UN" while seeking for a solution of mutual benefit.

However, the matter deteriorated recently with Macedonia having built a bronze statue in capital Skopje, which takes the name of "Alexander the Great."

Greece was enraged as it claims that Alexander the Great is its ancient hero and accused Macedonia of stealing its ancient heritage.

"Macedonia can lose its candidate status if it continues to make moves that Greece perceives as provocations," Fule said in June after the erection of the statue was widely reported.

Greece has set up blocks on Macedoniaâ€™s way to join NATO and the EU due to the name dispute. The two countries are negotiating under the UN auspices to resolve this issue.