FYR Macedonia and Greece remain committed and support the UN process led by mediator Matthew Nimetz.

There is will and readiness to find a mutually acceptable solution to the bilateral name dispute, without harming either of the parties, said countries' prime ministers Nikola Gruevski and George Papandroeu at Thursday's 30-minute meeting in the EU Council.

Interlocutors exchanged opinions and information on a number of issues of mutual and regional interest at the meeting arranged upon a joint initiative and it is in the spirit of the already-established practice of bilateral contacts at premiers' level.

Gruevski and Papandreou also referred to the challenges related to the global economic crisis, as well as European and Euro-Atlantic integration of regional countries, reads PM's Cabinet press release.

This was the fifth meeting between Gruevski and Papandreou. Previous talks were assessed as useful in a bid to boost trust and understanding between both sides, but failed to activate any progress in settling the bilateral name dispute.