Tag: greece

Greece supports the territorial integrity of its northern neighbour, said Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov. He ruled out the possibility that Greece will allow Macedonia to join the EU and NATO under its provisional reference. “Now, Macedonia wants to be a member of several international organizations. We...

I am not in Athens to put the pressure on, I am here to ask for help, support and understanding, said last night Macedonian Foreign Minister, Nikola Dimitrov in an interview for the Greek television “Sky”. “I would like Greece to be our biggest ally, because we are neighbours. We will be here, we share a border, and we hope...

NATO and the remaining part of the international community were shocked from the attack at the Parliament, said NATO’s General Secretary, Jen Stoltenberg at the joint press conference with the Macedonian Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev. He stressed that since April there has been a tremendous advancement in Macedonia but that the new government should start working on the improvement...

The forming of the new government is a positive development that reflects the democratic outcome of the elections in December, said EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn at the joint press conference in Brussels with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. -Macedonia has turned a new page after the political crisis which lasted too long. This is a new start but there is a...

“Everyone expects SDS to fulfill their promises such as quick entry into NATO and the EU, without touching upon identity issues. They are making agreements and are harming the Macedonian people”, said this morning’s statement from VMRO-DPMNE. The opposition party added that regardless of the repetition of the Greek red lines by Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, the ruling party...

“The new government has to set its priorities, but if you are asking me, I would say that the first priority should be the improvement of the living standards for all the citizens of this country,” said the Ambassador of Netherlands in Macedonia, Wouter Plomp in a weekly interview for “Radio Free Europe” As priorities, the Ambassador also mentioned...

The US supports a mutual acceptable solution to the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece, stated the US Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily, and added that it is good that negotiations between the two country’s our developing. “It is good that Macedonia is having talks with Greece and other countries in the region. The US has always supported and will...

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Dimitrov, after the formation of the new government, said that his first visits shall be in the countries in the region especially the countries with which the relations were strenuous. He stressed that he shall visit the neighboring countries in order to showcase Macedonia’s new face. When asked about the dispute over the country’s name,...

There is no any ground for Greece’s worriedness due to any kind of Macedonian irredentism, reacted today the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after the statement issued by GreeK Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, where he indicated that what was problematic in the name dispute were the irredentist tendencies that the country is showing by demanding the name of Macedonia. “Stressing this...

The Greek daily newspaper “Kathimerini” in an analysis of the situation in Macedonia stressed that this political crisis is one of the worst moments for the country since the conflict in 2000 and that the state is facing the serious risk of collapse. The newspaper comments that the Greek government is distancing themselves from the political and inter-ethnic tension in...

The Evzoni border crossing, at the Greek-Macedonian border, is closed for traffic for the 7th day in a row, due to a strike by the Greek farmers. The border crossings Dojran and Mežitlija are open, where due to an increased frequency there is a delay of at least one hour, said AMSM. At other border crossings, except for Bogorodica,...

Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias expects new and further pressure for a faster resolution over the name dispute after the parliamentary elections in December in Macedonia. In an interview with the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini", Kotzias said that only the two countries should dedicate themselves to negotiations within a format under the umbrella of the United Nations and under the baton...

Nikos Kotzias, the Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs will be visiting Skopje on Thursday. According to unofficial sources in Greece, Kotzias is coming to Macedonia after being invited by the Macedonian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nikola Poposki. He will also address the Ambassador’s Council in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in front of the Heads of diplomatic and consular...

The Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras on Monday is leaving for Sofia for a joint cabinet meeting between Greece and Bulgaria. Tsipras  will meet with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and President Rosen Plevneliev in the Bulgarian capital, then there will be a joint meeting between the Greek and the Bulgarian government because in Sofia almost half of the ministers...

The issue of solving the name dispute with Greece has not been placed on the negotiating table due to the political crisis, claims the SDSM leader Zoran Zaev, in an interview with "Radio Free Europe". He believes that this issue should be solved by a stable and "fully credible political government." "Nobody has brought this matter to the negotiating table, and...

Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, apparently strongly opposed the idea of European sanctions on Macedonia at yesterday's Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. According to Kotzias, the EU will not help Macedonia through sanctions and public pressure, but by acting through more diplomatic channels aimed at developing a culture of compromise, democratic dialogue, and democracy in the work of the media. In...

Today in Athens, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon spoke with the Greek government about the refugee crisis, the name dispute and the Cyprus issue. This morning Ban Ki-moon held talks with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, where they focused their discussion on the refugee crisis. Later during midday he had a meeting with the Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias,...

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said Greece has no plans to reverse its veto so Macedonia's can enter the EU and NATO until the name dispute remains unresolved. Pavlopoulos, during a visit to the tombs of ancient Macedonia, near the northern Greek city of Naoussa, said that those who dispute the Greek identity of Macedonia can not expect Athens to remove...

The Macedonian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has delivered a note to the Liaison Office of Greece in Skopje, in response to yesterday's verbal demarche by the Head of the Office, Ambassador to Macedonia, Theocharis Lalakos, which was presented to him personally during talks at the Ministry. "Macedonian security forces during yesterday's violent incidents acted with maximum possible restraint, responsibility and professionalism, and therefore...

The European Commission today called on all migrants from the Greek side of the border to be moved to other camps in the country. "The European Commission will continue to send the message that the people of Idomeni should be relocated and placed in reception centers across Greece and they should not make these dangerous attempts. Authorities and NGOs should...