ATHENS (Sputnik) — The dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that is ongoing between the republic and Greece might be solved in the first half of 2018, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said.
"I believe that there is a possibility to find a solution, that would promote the cooperation between the two states forever, by the end of the first half of 2018," Zaev said in an interview with Alpha TV broadcaster released on Sunday.
On January 19, the two parties are expected to engage in the negotiations on the issue at the United Nations in New York under the mediation of UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Matthew Nimetz.
In June, Zaev expressed readiness to make a concession over the state's name and join NATO as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in order to accelerate the country's EU integration process.