Following a briefing by United Nations officials late on Monday, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia yesterday rejected a UN deal that would have the country officially named Republika Makedonija-Skopje.

“The only acceptable name for us in international communication... is Republic of Macedonia,” Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva said. On Friday, Athens had said it was prepared to discuss the compromise.

The UN said yesterday its envoy for FYROM, Matthew Nimetz, had submitted “a set of ideas” to Athens and Skopje on March 29. “Both sides have strongly encouraged him to intensify his efforts based on the positions they have recently given him,” it said, requesting “a minimum of public statements” on the matter.

Meanwhile, in Athens opposition leader George Papandreou said the UN proposal did not appear to contain the necessary guarantees for a “dignified” solution to the problem. He called on the government to publish the full text of Nimetz’s proposal.