Macedonia’s parliament will meet on March 31 to debate the latest proposals to settle the dispute over its name with neighbouring Greece, Associated Press reported on March 28. The solution put forth by United Nations special envoy on the issue, Matthew Nimetz, has been

Macedonia’s parliament will meet on March 31 to debate the latest proposals to settle the dispute over its name with neighbouring Greece, Associated Press reported on March 28.

The solution put forth by United Nations special envoy on the issue, Matthew Nimetz, has been described by Macedonia’s foreign minister Antonio Milososki as the “final proposal” in the protracted talks and comes just days before the Nato summit in Bucharest, which will start on April 2.

Macedonia hoped to secure an invitation to join the alliance, which is widely seen in the region as the first step towards joining the European Union, but Greece has threatened to veto its neighbour’s application if the issue is not settled.

Milososki is scheduled to meet with his Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyannis on March 29. Earlier this week, Bakoyannis told the AP that the proposal was “some distance from the goals we are seeking for a solution that is clear, practical”.

The name proposed by Nimetz was not revealed, but media reports, quoted by AP, said it was Republic of Macedonia (Skopje).

The country’s constitutional name is Republic of Macedonia and it has been recognised that way by dozens of countries, but international institutions, including the UN, call it the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Greece refuses to accept its neighbour’s constitutional name, saying Macedonia is the name of Northern Greece and that having Skopje use it is indicative of its implicit territorial claims over the northern Greek province.