A new name proposal: Macedonia will be "Republic of Ilinden Macedonia"? (PHOTO) (VIDEO)

The Macedonian side has offered a new proposal for a settlement for name dispute in negotiations with Greece - "Republic of Ilinden Macedonia", reports the Macedonian A1ON portal citing unnamed diplomatic sources.

A new name of Macedonia in June: Zaev and Tsipras talked in Sofia about the solution of the dispute (PHOTO)

According to these sources, the new name must be for general use, which Greece insists on.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

Although the name "Republic of Upper Macedonia" has been mentioned so far as the solution, A1ON's interlocutors claim that the "Republic of Ilinden Macedonia" is a proposal from the last round of dialogue between the two sides. 

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in Sofia today that he and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras discussed a name dispute that would be acceptable to both sides and expects the solution to be found in June before the EU leaders' summit.

- We discussed several options and one of them is acceptable for both sides - Zaev said without specifying the option.

Посветени на решенија, за иста Европа се бориме. 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/MbaHzAyJ71— Зоран Заев (@Zoran_Zaev) May 17, 2018

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, however, has fenced himself from the statements of Zaev in connection with their interview in Sofia, saying that it is not time to talk about an agreement with Macedonia on resolving the decades-long name dispute.

Tsipras told reporters after the summit that representatives of the two countries are continuing a dialogue in order to reach a final agreement by the end of July.

An agreement on a new name for Macedonia would speed up the opening of EU accession talks and NATO membership.

Watch the video:

VIDEO: Vucic with the prime minister of Macedonia 

(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)