SKOPJE (Macedonia), June 12 (Macedonia) - Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias said that Greece and Macedonia have made a 'decisive step' towards ending their dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav republic after the two prime ministers spoke over the phone, according to Greek media reports.
"We are steadily in favor of a solution, because we believe that this solution is also in Greece’s interest," news outlet ekathimerini.com quoted Kotzias as saying in an interview with Greek private TV channel Kontra on Monday.
Three names are still on the table and Macedonia's prime minister Zoran Zaev has already made a decision, Kotzias added.
Ekathimerini.com provided no details about the phone call between Zaev and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras.
In May, Zaev sad he hoped that the long-standing name dispute with neighbouring Greece will be settled before the next meeting of the Council of the European Union, which will be held on June 28-29.
Athens has blocked Macedonia’s attempts to join NATO and the EU over the 27-year row over the name of the country, which according to Greece allegedly implies territorial clams on the Greek northernmost province of the same name.