Cablegate: Portugal On Macedonia Eu Membership and Name Issue

VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLI #0593 3281443
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241443Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7984

UNCLAS LISBON 000593

SIPDIS

STATE DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE:PAUL PFEUFFER
STATE DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EUR/SCE:JERRY ISMAIL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EU GR PGOV PREL PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL ON MACEDONIA EU MEMBERSHIP AND NAME ISSUE

REF: STATE 117721

Post delivered reftel points on November 24 to Maria de
Fatima Gonzalez, head of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs' European Area and Enlargement Unit. Gonzalez agreed
regarding the importance of Macedonia's EU and NATO
integration and Madeconia's progress toward fulfilling the
technical reform benchmarks, and said prospects for
resolution of the "name issue" between Macedonia and Greece
appear to have improved. Gonzalez said Portugal supports
scheduling a date for Macedonia EU membership negotiations to
begin but "we must await what comes out of the European
Council meeting."

For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal,
please see our Intelink site:

http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal
BALLARD

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