Zaev says he may meet Tsipras next week

The prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Zoran Zaev, said on Wednesday that courageous decisions are needed in order to resolve the decades-old name dispute with Greece, adding that he is expecting to meet his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras next week on the sidelines of the upcoming EU-Western Balkan Summit in Sofia.

“What I expect, at the very least, is to meet with the Greek PM on the sidelines,” he told reporters according to the MIA news agency.

He also said he will talk to Tsipras about the progress made so far in negotiations between the foreign ministers of both countries.

“Perhaps we are going to be more bold, to push our creativity further,” he said, adding that it is worth trying for a deal “until the end.”

“I give the process a chance,” he said.

Before the Sofia summit, Foreign Ministers Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov will both meet on Saturday with United Nations special envoy Matthew Nimetz.

“I believe that at the weekend we will be able to harmonize our positions through alternative and creative positions proposed by both parties,” Zaev said.

Meanwhile, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that if the name issue is resolved then the alliance will invite FYROM to become a member.

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