Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Urges FYROM To Finally Stop With The Propaganda

Excerpt from the briefing of diplomatic correspondents by Foreign Ministry spokesman Gregory Delavekouras

S. RISTOVSKA: A question on the name issue. What is Athens’s response to the proposals made by Skopje? These are proposals for a development initiative, for deepening relations between the two countries. That’s one question. The second is, was there an informal, unofficial proposal from Foreign Minister Popovski that he and Mr. Avramopoulos meet for coffee in Edessa?

G. DELAVEKOURAS: Let me start by saying something, first of all, regarding our relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. You saw Foreign Minister Avramopoulos’ statements during the presentation to Parliament of the government’s policy papers: that Greece is pursuing the improvement of relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, pursuing the finding of a solution on the name issue. It is an issue that, for 17 years now, we should have been able to find a way to resolve.
In spite of that – and this gives rise to very serious concern – we saw the initial reaction of the Skopje government immediately following the new government’s entry into office. It was a very stringent attack on Greece, an effort toward negative propaganda, which does not allow us to see how the government in Skopje will at long last come to approach the name issue in a positive manner, so that we can achieve a solution.
Greece has declared its support for, and continues to support, the negotiation process under the UN, and in fact we hope that very soon there will be an opportunity for meetings with Mr. Nimetz so that we can look at the next steps. But it has to be clear that there needs to be sincerity if we are to move ahead. There has to be a stop to the negative propaganda that is essentially poisoning public opinion in Skopje and preventing the achievement of a solution. We need sincerity in our relations, and this propaganda has to stop.
We saw the recent statements from the FYROM government spokesman, who mentioned some ideas that have been presented in the past, and many of these are already in development, with clear results. For example, there was mention of cooperation between customs authorities or police authorities, when we all know that such cooperation already exists and is at a very good level, and we see its practical implementation every day.
But we can’t miss the forest for the trees, and the forest is the achievement of a solution on the name issue. There is no excuse, after so many years, for the Skopje government’s persisting with these intransigent policies that block us from freeing up the dynamic in our relations. This needs to be realised at long last, and there has to be a change in stance so that we can move ahead.
I haven’t seen the informal proposal from the FYROM Foreign Minister. Obviously, there will be meetings, but the thing is for us to focus on the essence of the matter. it isn’t a matter of a photograph or exploiting the P-R potential of a meeting. The thing is for there to be real willingness on the part of the other side for us to move ahead. Greece has shown that it has this willingness; it has shown this in a tangible way, through the stance it has maintained. And at long last we need to see the same thing from the government in Skopje.

M. KOURBELA: First of all, let me say regarding the last issue that, according to information, there is or there will be cooperation between the two countries for the provision, by the Greek side, of know-how for the adaptation of FYROM legislation to the European acquis. Can you confirm that for me?  The question I want to ask is this: there are two new European laws – a regulation and an amendment – that amend the Schengen Space. This provides for the imposition of a six-month suspension of a Schengen member that does not comply with the prerequisites for membership. And this suspension can be repeated for a further two six-month periods. This is for countries that do not comply with all the conditions, of which Greece might be one. Will you do anything before these regulations are issued? Thank you very much.

G. DELAVEKOURAS: Starting with the first issue you raised, this is just one example of the many examples of cooperation that exist between the two countries. What we want is for there to be substance, for us to be able to move ahead and resolve the main problem, the name issue, under the auspices of the UN. We want to reach a solution and move ahead with our relations, because there really is great potential.  I’ll just remind you of the visit of the Vice President of the FYROM government, Ms. Arifi, to Athens. At that time we decided to establish collaboration on a technocratic level, on EU issues, and the first meeting has already taken place – and there will be others in the autumn. There are the meetings Foreign Minister Avramopoulos had, in his previous capacity, with his FYROM counterpart. When Greece finds a collocutor with whom it can move ahead in its relations, it takes the opportunity, it is ready and willing, it takes the initiative to do it. But there has to be a collocutor. This is basic, and this is what we have to see at long last: whether or not there is a collocutor in Skopje.

Reference - http://www.mfa.gr/en/current-affairs/press-briefings/briefing-of-diplomatic-correspondents-by-foreign-ministry-spokesman-gregory-delavekouras-4894.html