The proposal for confidence building measures and “new” negotiations between Skopje and Athens stirred spirits in the Greek opposition.
Former MEP and current MP of New Democracy George Koumoutsakos questions the need and the point of confidence building measures between Macedonia and Greece, which were announced by the Greek head of diplomacy, Nikos Kodzias.
In parliamentary questions addressed to Kodzias after announcements by the Greek Foreign Ministry and the text of the newspaper “Kathimerini” that, in essence, talks between Skopje and Athens for these measures are ongoing, Koumoutsakos requested new foreign minister to explain in detail what the measures would be and what their purpose is.
The letter, Koumoutsakos says that “irredentist statements, actions and works such as school textbooks, maps and statements from senior officials” come only from the Macedonian side, not from Greece. Koumoutsakos notes that negotiations between the two sides already exist within the United Nations, which indirectly indicates that he doesn’t understand the need for parallel discussions on the same topic.
Koumoutsakos requests from Kodzias to explain exactly what will be the content of the negotiations between Greece and Macedonia for these confidence building measures and at what level are the negotiations going to be carried out. He asks “whether the Ministry has calculated the risk that such negotiations could have a negative influence on the negotiations at the UN and if the Minister considers that the start of these negotiations will not adversely affect the unanimous decision of NATO since 2008 and the unanimous decision of the EU Council that finding a mutually acceptable solution for the name is part of the conditions for admission to NATO and to start accession negotiations with the EU?”
MP of New Democracy, who has long been active on the name dispute, requests Kodzias to confirm whether it will continue to move in the same direction of Bucharest in 2008 on European and NATO perspective of our country.
