Greece supports the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the whole region, stressed Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, after meeting with his Macedonian counterpart, Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov.
-We want to help the country and to pass on our experiences and weaknesses. The resolutions from Bucharest have to be accomplished in order for the country to become a member of NATO. We want our dear northern neighbour to be a part of the EU and NATO, but certain conditions need to be fulfilled – said Kotzias, while replying to a question on whether Greece is ready to help Macedonia gain entrance into NATO and the EU.
He said that he is happy that Macedonia has overcome the political crisis, as they are overcoming the financial crisis.
Kotzias said that the entrance of the Western Balkans and Macedonia into NATO will contribute to the development of the whole region, economic ties and for overcoming the problems with irredentism that are causing strenuous relations.
-In our hearts we have love, but love can sometimes be heavy. We have to beat irredentism and let’s find the courage to solve our problems in order for love to develop – said Kotzias.
Minister Dimitrov said that he had a long and open conversation with his Greek colleague, and expressed hope that Greece will recognize the new reality and he expects their help and support on the path to NATO and the EU.
He said that they didn’t specifically speak about the name dispute, but about the process of methods and modality, what are the interests and concerns of both sides and how they perceive the problem.
When asked whether the new government will work on the removal of symbols that are causing negative emotions among Greeks, Dimitrov said that he cannot precisely comment on what the next steps will be.
– We, as a Government and as a society, strive towards a united Europe. We shouldn’t create a foreign and internal policy on the basis of characters that are 2000 years old. We cannot change history, but we can change the future. We shall stand by our obligations that were made in the Interim Agreement – said Dimitrov, stating that this issue has been present for a long time and it cannot be solved quickly.
