Macedonian government

Macedonian government has approved at today's meeting its draft agreement on friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria, reported BGNES.

This was announced by the government's press service.

The government took a decision to urge Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to sign the treaty.

Amid soaring hotel prices that threaten to tarnish the country's self-image as a hospitable nation, residents of the capital Skopje have started offering free accommodation for visitors attending the UEFA Super Cup match between Manchester United and Real Madrid on August 8.

After a prolonged absence, UN envoy Matthew Nimetz is to visit Macedonia from Sunday to Monday, Macedonia's national broadcaster MRTV reported on Tuesday, citing sources in Washington. 

During Nimetz's visit, he is set to meet with top Macedonian officials, although it is not yet known whether he will bring any new proposal for a mutually acceptable name for Macedonia to the table.

Macedonia's new Foreign Minister, Nikola Dimitrov, has paid a first to Athens, where he met his counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, in a warm atmosphere that some hope may pave the way to a solution of the long-standing dispute over Macedonia's name.

Greece objects to the name "Macedonia", claiming it implies a territorial aspiration to the Greek province of the same name.

Zoran Zaev - Photo: AP

Zoran Zaev's statement about his country's "neutrality" if Kosovo's UNESCO bid again comes up for a vote, has caused dissatisfaction of the Albanian community.

Dimitrov, who is part of the new Macedonian government elected last Wednesday, will travel to Greece by invitation of his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias. The exact time of the visit has not yet been revealed.

PM Boyko Borisov greeted Zoran Zaev on his election as a primier of the Republic of Macedonia and expressed his expectations for the strengthening of the good neighborly relations between the two states and also for Macedonia's approximination to the EU accession negotiations, reported BNR.

After several months of refusing to do so, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov on Wednesday finally awarded the mandate for forming a government to the Social Democrat leader, Zoran Zaev, removing all remaining obstacles for a peaceful transfer of power.

Zoran Zaev - Photo: AP

SDSM leader Zoran Zaev said on Thursday that FYROM (Macedonia) will be "neutral" next time Pristina's bid to join UNESCO is put up for a vote.

Asked by TV Prva how Macedonia intends vote, Zaev's only response was: "Neutral."

In a lengthy expose held in the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party in Skopje, party leader Zoran Zaev on Friday said his new government platform would "strictly abide" by the terms of the constitution, guaranteeing the country's unity, sovereignty and stability.