UN chief says FYROM name deal ‘very positive’

Speaking ahead of the September 30 referendum in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to change the Balkan country’s official name following an agreement with neighboring Greece in June, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Friday described the name deal as being “very positive.”

“We consider the agreement between the two governments to be a very positive one,” Guterres was quoted as saying by state-run news agency ANA-MPA.

Guterres said Greece and FYROM would hopefully both ratify the agreement, ANA-MPA reports.

Commenting on the Cyprus peace process, Guterres said that UN special envoy to Cyprus Jane Holl Lute was still conducting consultations on the divided island, and that he was waiting for her report “to see the way forward.”