Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Sunday he was confident that Macedonia and Greece would manage to find a dignified solution to the name dispute. “I believe a solution will be found, which will be dignified for both sides, a solution that won’t encroach the identity of the Macedonian people and also won’t encroach the identity […]
Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos in a letter to the EU Commissioners in charge of enlargement and regional policy, announced Greece’s intention to support Macedonia’s bid to join the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), MIA reports from Athens. ‘Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos in a letter to the EU Commissioners in charge of […]
Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during Thursday’s meeting with President of Ireland Michael Higgins said that if Macedonia wants to integrate into NATO and EU it needs to change the constitution highlighting that whatever name is chosen should not contain a single trace of irredentism in terms of borders, nationality or language. At the beginning of […]
The whole international community, including the countries that have been using the name ‘Macedonia’ bilaterally, should accept the solution, said former Foreign Minister of Greece Dora Bakoyannis in a TV interview, MIA’s Athens correspondent reports. “We want a solution the whole international community will accept. That’s the goal because currently they are being called ‘Macedonia’ by […]
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had a phone conversation with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss several issues, including the name dispute, Tsipras’ office said Tuesday. “The two leaders discussed developments relating to the negotiations on the FYROM name issue, provocative Turkish activity in the Aegean, and Turkey’s relations with the European Union,” read a […]
Moderate optimism for finding a solution to the name issue has been expressed by the former Greek ambassador to Macedonia, George Kaklikis. Speaking to CNN.gr, he referred to his tenure as ambassador to Macedonia, especially the year 2001 when Macedonia and Greece had been very close to reaching a solution after the Greek government had initiated […]
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is coming to Skopje again by the end of February or the beginning of March, sources from the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told MIA. Greek media reported that Kotzias would pay a visit to Skopje this week, but the packed agendas of the countries’ FMs are cited as the […]
Macedonia expects to reach a settlement of its decades-old name row with Greece by a NATO summit in the summer, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told Austrian radio station ORF, Reuters reports. “I believe we will be able to conclude the negotiations successfully by the NATO summit in July,” says PM Zaev. He adds, “We have an […]
The Athens-Skopje name negotiations have reached a prefect momentum, contrary to the claims of opposition New Democracy leader that there are no favorable circumstances at the moment for a solution, Greek Minister of Administrative Reform Olga Gerovasili says in an interview with the new agency ANA-MPA. ‘At the moment the negotiations are underway under the […]
Points of convergence and positive climate after meeting in Vienna – the key to final agreement remains the combination of the gradual implementation of the erga omnes and amending of the constitution, reads an analysis of the Greek daily ‘To Vima’ about the marathon meeting of Greek, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov […]
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called for flexibility in the negotiations over the name of Macedonia. According to him, NATO in 2008 at the Bucharest Summit had decided to invite Macedonia to join the Alliance as soon as Skopje solved the name issue in a mutually acceptable manner. It was impossible to reach a settlement […]
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos is optimistic with regard to a possibility of finding a mutually acceptable solution to the name dispute. The name negotiations are resuming after yesterday’s round within the frame set along with our neighbors, Tzanakopoulos told the ERT first program. ‘We are optimistic that we will succeed to reach a mutually […]
Dignity and identity are indispensable part of the negotiations with Greece, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Wednesday answering journalist questions in Negotino. He said he would refrain from revealing details ‘so it doesn’t turn out we are negotiating via the media.’ “Mediator (Matthew) Nimetz conducts the process, he knows what is acceptable and what isn’t […]
My statements are interpreted incorrectly as I’ve never suggested for the Thessaloniki airport to be renamed, Mayor Yiannis Boutaris told media on Tuesday. Last night at a meeting of the city council and this morning in an interview with Skai TV, Boutaris said a name change of the city airport ‘Makedonia’ could be considered, MIA […]
I’m glad that progress in the name negotiations between Athens and Skopje has been made, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister said when asked about the dispute between Greece and Macedonia. “It’s a bilateral issue and we should leave Athens and Skopje to negotiate under the mediation of the United Nations,” Ekaterina Zakharieva noted wishing the negotiating parties […]
Name talks between Macedonian and Greek Foreign Ministers, Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias respectively, under the aegis of United Nations envoy Matthew Nimetz are ongoing for more than three hours in Vienna, MIA reports. There is no news whether the FMs and the envoy will give statements after the meeting. The FMs met late on Monday, […]
Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev held talks Monday in Ankara with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who voiced support for settling the name dispute with Greece, saying that it would be favorable for the Balkan region and Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic perspectives. Zaev and Erdogan agreed that the two friendly countries had a potential to advance the economic cooperation […]
A makeshift explosive device went off outside a store operated by Greece’s opposition leader’s wife in central Athens near the Acropolis hill early Monday. No injury has been reported but only minor damages to the fashion store that belongs to Mareva Grabowski, New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ wife, Xinhua reports. The perpetrators fled and […]
We will strictly limit to our role on cooperation between the two cities in order to send message that the cooperation with the City of Skopje is the best thing that we can do in these circumstances, Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said ahead of his meeting with Skopje counterpart. Speaking to Thema Radio 104.6, Kaminis […]
The name can be resolved only when there are no signs of irredentism, because irredentism is contrary to international law and European legislation, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said, reiterating his position about Macedonia that constitutional changes are necessary, remove of irredentist positions and afterwards solution to the problem and Euro-Atlantic integration. Aimed at finding a […]
