The Republic of Macedonia remains firmly committed to resolve the name issue and keeps on playing an active and constructive part in the process. As a party taking part in the name talks with serious approach, it hopes and expects the other party to conduct the same activity and show seriousness and constructiveness.

This was concluded at Friday's coordination meeting of top state officials convened by President Gjorge Ivanov ahead of a visit by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz to Macedonia. It focused on the course of the UN-brokered negotiations aimed at solving the issue that Greece has raised involving Macedonia's constitutional name.

The meeting was attended by Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, Premier Nikola Gruevski, Vice Premier Musa Xhaferi, Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, and Macedonia's name negotiator Zoran Joleski. At the meeting, Jolevski informed about the recent talks held with mediator Nimetz in January.

Macedonia's top officials welcomed Nimetz's upcoming visit to Macedonia and Greece, expressing hopes that it would contribute to resuming the name talks. At the same time, they pointed out the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reached in favour of Macedonia, Ivanov's cabinet said in a press release.

"The ICJ ruling, which has acknowledged Greece's unjustified move to block the NATO membership invitation for Macedonia at the Bucharest summit in 2008, in an unambiguous, objective and unbiased fashion upheld that Macedonia's positions all this time have been based on international law and respect of neighbourly ties," stated the press release.

Mediator Matthew Nimetz is scheduled to visit Skopje on Feb. 20 and Athens on Feb. 22.