Brussels, 02/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 29 April in Luxembourg, in his discussions with the foreign affairs ministers of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Ilinka Miteva, the president of the Council of the EU, Jean Asselborn, raised the issue of the situation in the Balkans and prospects of FYROM joining the EU. Addressing the press, Asselborn welcomed the fact that the Ohrid Agreement had allowed for peaceful cohabitation between Slavs (64% of the population) and Albanian (25% of the population) and that “application of the agreement constitutes a remarkable success that deserves to be welcomed for its real value”. In the elections of March this year, Asselborn said that the government had to pursue and sanction those guilty of any irregularities committed. He also pointed out that the EU was encouraging Greece and FYROM to increase their efforts for finding a solution acceptable to both sides on the question of the country's name, as part of resolutions 817 and 845 of the UN Security Council. He affirmed that, “it is in the interest of the two sides and that the EU hopes that this will be possible in the next few weeks or months”.