US expects progress in Greece-FYROM name talks

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said that the aim of his country is to see FYROM swiftly integrated into the NATO and the EU and hopes that FYROM and Greece will use the post-elections period in Greece to move forward in name talks under the mediation of Matthew Nimetz. This was stated during a meeting with FYROM President Gjorge Ivanov in New York, MRTOnline reported. It should be noted that the meeting was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. At the meeting in New York, Ivanov and Steinberg discussed the cooperation in the framework of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed by FYROM and the United States in May 2008. US Ambassador to FYROM Philip Reeker who attended the meeting said the State Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Deputy James Steinberg praised the efforts to create a better atmosphere in the talks on the name issue, the Voice of America’s FYROM news reported. Steinberg hopes that two parties after the elections in Greece on October 4 will keep the focus on negotiation process. We hope that the process will continue once new Greek government will be formed and that the two countries will use the chance and with assistance of UN mediator Nimetz will achieve progress and will find a solution as soon as possible, Reeker said. The US remains prepared to help and to support the process. Steinberg congratulated Ivanov on positive climate achieved in the name talks with Greece in the past four months since his presidential mandate. He emphasised that FYROM worked hard and made large progress in fulfilling the reforms needed for membership in the Euro-Atlantic organised, for which it has strong support from Washington.