STATE DEPT SELLING OFF MACEDONIA

STATE DEPARTMENT REGULAR BRIEFING BRIEFER: SEAN MCCORMACK 12 Feb 2008

Lambros
Q Mr. McCormack, any readout on today's meeting between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the foreign minister of FYROM, Antonio Milososki?

MR. MCCORMACK: The Macedonian foreign minister and the secretary had a good meeting.

They talked about Macedonia's application to join NATO. They talked about Kosovo. And the subset of the issue related to NATO, they talked about the name issue -- so-called name issue with respect to Macedonia.

And our bottom line, which the secretary reiterated, is we urged Macedonia, as we will urge the Greek foreign minister, when the secretary sees her later in the week, to fully participate in the process that is being run by the secretary-general's special representative, Nimitz. He's working hard on this issue and we urge them to use that process and use the good offices of Ambassador Nimitz to find a resolution to the issue.

Q Yes, one more. On the bilateral level, any concrete effort, like mediation, by Secretary Rice for a solution on the name issue, as you said, between Greece and FYROM?

MR. MCCORMACK: Now see, replay what I just said. She urged them to use that process, use the process that is being run by the secretary-general's special representative. She urged them to -- she urged the foreign minister to use that process to find a solution, as she will urge the Greek foreign minister when she sees her on Thursday.

Q Who initiated --

Q And again there were no suggestions of possible new names?

MR. MCCORMACK: No. No.