Results of research regarding public attitudes towards a change of Macedonia's constitutional name published by Macedonian media on April 16 showed some shifts in opinions compared to last month's research. The name change would be necessary for the country to join Nato.

While Macedonians became slightly more inclined to agree to a change in the country's constitutional name, it was the Albanians who seem to have more radically shifted their opinion in the opposite direction.

This month's research was done on April 12 and 13, with 1100 persons interviewed, Bulgarian daily Dnevnik said, quoting Macedonian media.

Two-thirds of those interviewed indicated being against a change of the name, slightly lower than the 83 per cent from the month before.

Counted along ethnic lines, the percentage of Macedonians who were against a change of the name dropped from 95 per cent to 80 per cent. At the same time, of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, 94 per cent were against the name change. They numbered only 52 per cent last month.

A possible reason for this shift was not given by Macedonian media.

A majority of those interviewed, 78 per cent, were in favour of continued negotiations to resolve the issue. Again along ethnic lines, 49 per cent of Macedonians wanted negotiations to continue, while 91 per cent of Albanians shared that opinion.