FYROM open to change name to enter NATO, Foreign Minister says

Nikola Dimitrov to visit Greece Wednesday

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) is examining the prospect of changing its name to overcome Greece’s objections in an effort to be admitted into NATO, according to a report in the Financial Times. FYROM’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov is scheduled to visit Athens on Wednesday with the aim of restoring trust between the two countries. Mr. Dimitrov said that even though a name change was under consideration, it was to early to enter into any specifics on the matter. “I will ask Greece to re-evaluate what kind of neighbour she wants-does she want a stable and friendly country that hope for democracy and justice? If we are a good neighbour, I hope that the political forces in Greece understand that it is a historic opportunity”, said Mr. Dimitrov. Greece has been blocking the entry of the small Balkan country into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation due the ongoing name dispute, accusing FYROM of historical revisionsim and the appropriation of the Greek name of Macedonia.