Name deal in the balance as Russia hints at UN veto

As Zoran Zaev, the prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, scrambles to seek political support for a name deal with Greece that drew a low turnout in a referendum on Sunday, Western leaders expressed support for the agreement while Moscow hinted that it could veto the deal at the United Nations Security Council.

NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg referred to a “historic opportunity” but stressed that the only way FYROM can join the alliance is by implementing the name deal.

The Russian Foreign Ministry meanwhile noted that the low referendum turnout made its outcome void, adding that the conclusions of negotiations between Athens and Skopje could be discussed at the UN Security Council.

Zaev must draw another 11 votes to amass the 80 he needs to push the name deal through FYROM’s Parliament and pave the way for his country’s accession to NATO and the European Union. But political opposition to the deal is strong.

The deal continues to fuel controversy in Greece too. The coalition partner of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, who has repeatedly expressed his objection to the agreement, said yesterday that he expects it to be brought to Parliament “beyond March,” when he and Tsipras have agreed to revisit the issue, and possibly even after elections which he said will take place later than May.

Opposition New Democracy meanwhile accused the government of being too amenable to its interlocutors in name talks and said the approach taken by Tsipras and Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias was “amateur” and “opportunistic.”

Commenting on the minutes seen by Kathimerini of meetings between FYROM’s political leaders about the negotiations with Greece, ND said it was clear the Greek government had been ready to accept the name “Macedonia of Ilinden,” which, it said, would have been “unacceptable.” The government only changed stance when ND said that name was “the epitome of irredentism.”