Dnevnik: Idea about Serbia’s mediation in name dispute should not be rejected a priori

Serbia’s proposal to be mediator in the negotiations between Macedonia and Greece over the name dispute should not be rejected a priori, examining it as if Belgrade aims at establishing itself the position of a leader in the region, Macedonian Dnevnik daily writes.

Serbian President Boris Tadic, who presented the idea at the annual conference of the Serbian ambassadors, said that Belgrade wishes to solve state issues with Skopje, as well as the issue concerning the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

The newspaper also publishes a statement of Liljana Jakovlevska, an analyst of the Macedonian-Serbian relations, who says that Belgrade’s wish to establish itself as a leader in the region is obvious, while Macedonia has missed its chance.

Macedonian diplomat, who wished to stay anonymous, said that Tadic’s idea should not be rejected. The Skopje-Athens negotiations proceed under UN’s auspices but the opportunity to open a new unofficial channel for information exchange should not be neglected.