Macedonian PM Plans to Talk to Tsipras About Naming Issue Within Days

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Tuesday he was planning to have phone talks about renaming his country, which is currently listed in many international organizations as former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia due to an ongoing dispute with Greece, with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras within a few days.

"Let us not rush into details. It’s only a matter of days. Once I talk to my counterpart, the public will be informed," Zaev said, as quoted by the Independent Balkan News Agency (IBNA).

Greece and Macedonia have recently said they were close to resolving the decades-long dispute. However, Greek activists are reportedly planning rallies to urge the government to organize a referendum on Macedonia's name.

Greece objects to the neighboring country using the word "Macedonia" in its name, as it has a geographical region also called Macedonia and worries about its neighbor's potential territorial claims. Thus, Athens recognize this name referring only to its region or to the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia

The naming issue has complicated the process of joining international organizations for Skopje, as Greece may veto its adhesion to the European Union or NATO.