Gruevski: "I seek the support of the Chancellor"

Macedonia is fighting in the name dispute with Greece over its identity.Which holds the EU accession of the country - President Gruevski asks Germany for help now.

The official title is President of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia.Nikola Gruevski is 42 years old and ruled for five years, the Balkan country.

PHOTO: PICTURE ALLIANCE / BREUEL-BILD/BREUEL-BILDNikola Gruevski and Angela Merkel. Germany is a major trade partners of Macedonia

BBC News: Mr. President, welcome to Berlin. What brings you here?

Nikola Gruevski: I seek the support of the Chancellor of our most important national concern.

BBC News: What's that?

Gruevski: Our accession to NATO and the EU is being held up for far too long by the name dispute. He is vital to our economy, as well as for sedation in the Western Balkans.

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BBC News: How so? Name, we say in German, is smoke and mirrors.

Gruevski: . But here it is about our identity Greece denies us the right to call ourselves the way we think is right and necessary: ​​Macedonia. We have the International Court of Justice on our side, who came in a long and thorough process already more than 10 years to the conclusion that we can be present in all international institutions under the name we have chosen after the disintegration of old Yugoslavia , in line with our history.

BBC News: You have the Skopje airport after Alexander International called the Great.

Gruevski: The Greeks call the airport of Thessaloniki "Macedonia".

BBC News: British and French live so long that the island called Great Britain, derived from the ancient name of Brittany, and it goes well. Can we learn something?

Gruevski: It takes two to tango.

BBC News: In Greece, the government has changed. Has this changed under the government of technocrats Professor Papademos something? He comes from the European Central Bank and is considered a realist.

Gruevski: Unfortunately, answering the question in the negative. The new Greek Prime Minister has clearly noted that the rules of the name issue is not one of his mandate. He probably has enough other problems. Since nothing moves. But we hope and stay tuned.

BBC News: Is there a plan B? Something like silent mediation diplomacy?

Gruevski: The Americans have in their Balkan policy, tried it, unfortunately without success. There were also contacted via the United Nations. But a breakthrough is in sight.

BBC News: And Germany?

Gruevski: The question is not first on the agenda.

BBC News: How are the economic relations with the EU?

Gruevski: As before, it is to enter our overriding national interest in the European Union and until then to do whatever promotes this fateful step.

BBC News: But is not there a mismatch: On the one hand and a prestigious name issue that is blocking everything, on the other hand, the economic life of the interest of your republic?

Gruevski: We can, when it comes to the question of our definition of our national self-consciousness goes, will not compromise.

BBC News: How long will it take for?

Gruevski: Five years? Probably longer.

BBC News: And what does Germany?

Gruevski: Germany is our main trading partners. We export with increasing success, wine, agricultural products, metals, textiles, also, because we are low-wage economy.

BBC News: And the economic relations with Greece?

Gruevski: Coming in third place. We note, however, increasingly, that Greek entrepreneurs are showing interest in investing on our side of the border.Firstly, this happens due to lower wages, but mainly because we do not have the bureaucratic hurdles, as opposed to our neighbor to the south has always been the business start-up and industrial growth.