Watershed year for the FYROM name dispute

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias last week laid out the government's intentions regarding the name dispute with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). He also argued why a national wound which has been festering for a good 26 years must be healed by the end of next year.

"I believe this issue must be settled within the first half of 2018," Kotzias said. "If it's not, there will be major difficulties. If it gets resolved, it will then be a matter of three to four months of bureaucracy at the United Nations. As a result, it should wrap up by the end of 2018. If we do not manage [to reach a settlement] by the end of 2018, 2019 starts off with presidential elections in the neighboring country and then, in the summer of 2019, it will be our turn to hold an election. It would not be a good year to deal with issues of this nature because we shall be in the middle of...