Macedonia will not get a start date for negotiations for entry into the European Union, on account of the unresolved name problem with the country, according to diplomats in Brussels.
A date was expected to be announced in June, but according to the reports, quoted by Bulgarian media sources, this will not happen in spite of a recent positive European Parliament report, and the desire of the European Commission to start negotiations.
Since declaring independence in 1991, Macedonia has found itself in the so-called "name dispute" with Greece, which sees Macedonia's name as threatening Greece's historical heritage and territorial integrity.
The position of Bulgaria's government regarding giving a date to Macedonia is not yet clear, as the two countries are in ongoing talks regarding the signing of a treaty for neighborly partnership.
According to information by the Bulgarian National Radio, four meetings to negotiate the treaty have been already held, but little progress has been achieved.
In the end of 2012, Bulgaria joined Greece in recommending that the EU don't set a talks date with Macedonia, on the grounds on insufficiently respecting the rights of ethnic Bulgarians and Bulgarian historical heritage in Macedonia.