Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has declared he deems possible "a compromise" in the so called "name dispute" that his country has with Greece.

Ivanov, however, has stated that any compromise cannot affect the "Macedonian identity and language, and the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia."

The notorious "name dispute" is based on Greek concerns with Macedonia's constitutional name ("Republic of Macedonia") because much of Northern Greece is called "Macedonia" as an administrative district. Therefore, recognizing the same name for its neighbor could legitimize potential territorial claims by Skopje.

Because of the name dispute, Greece has so far vetoed Macedonia's accession to NATO, and blockaded the start of EU accession talks with Macedonia. Because of the Greek position the Republic of Macedonia was admitted to the UN under the made-up name of "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Macedonia)."

"It is not acceptable to discuss a solution that touches upon Macedonian identity, Macedonian language and the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia. As long as I am president of the republic of Macedonia, I will not allow this to happen," Macedonian President Ivanov declared in his annual address to parliament, as cited by Macedonian media.

He did express readiness on part of the Macedonian authorities to resolve the dispute with Greece the "European" way.

"We stand ready to bridge the differences in a European manner. We are citizens of a European country and we require Greece, being a member of the European Union, to use a European approach towards us," Ivanov said.

On January 15, 1992, Bulgaria became the first sovereign nation to recognize the independence of Macedonia; and it did so under Macedonia's constitutional name.

More than 120 nations, including the USA, much of the EU and Russia have recognized the landlocked Balkan country under its constitutional name Republic of Macedonia.

In the late 1990s, Bulgaria and Macedonia worked out a compromise under which Bulgaria recognized Macedonia's right to call its constitutional language "Macedonian" even though it still considers it a dialect of Bulgarian.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!