Page 12 - bne_newspaper_September_01_2017

Southeast Europe
September 1, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 12
Macedonia and Greece ready to tackle divisive “name issue”
Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje
Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov
said on August 31 he hopes that Greece will recognise the “new reality” in the country and support Skopje’s aspiration to join the European Union and Nato. Dimitrov was speaking during his Greek peer Nikos Kotzias' official visit to Skopje, the second time the two have met in the last two months as Macedonia’s new Social Democrat-led government tries to reset relations with Athens.
The tone of the meeting was extremely friendly, with Kotzias repeatedly referring to Macedonia
as “our dear neighbour in the north” — a strong contrast to the acrimonious relationship between the two states under Macedonia’s former VMRO- DPMNE government in power until early this year.
The two sides also agreed to take steps are agreed on further cooperation in economy, education and security. Fundamental divisions between the two states remain, with Kotzias insisting on resolution of the “name issue” before Athens will back Macedonia’s bids for accession to the EU and Nato. However, both sides have indicated they are willing to find a solution to the problem.
Until now, this has blocked Macedonia’s bid to join the two international organisations. Greece opposes the use of the name “Macedonia” as it has a northern province with the same name. In 2008, Athens vetoed Macedonia’s bid to join Nato. Finding a solution to the name dispute is also required for Macedonia to move forward in its EU integration process.
“We expect and hope for help and support in our EU integration and we want to see a friend and future ally in each other,” Dimitrov said at a joint news conference with Kotzias. Dimitrov visited Athens in June, shortly after he was appointed foreign minister.
Dimitrov and Kotzias pledged to continue contacts and meetings at the political and expert levels
in the spirit of good neighbourliness and mutual respect, as a joint contribution to the creation of
a positive climate in the relations between the two countries, the Macedonian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The meeting was mostly focused on building mutual confidence as a basis of friendship rather than talks on the name solution.
“I re-affirmed that our foreign policy priorities are to maintain good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation in line with the EU orientation,” Dimitrov said.
He added that relations with Athens had a special meaning for Macedonia, including good economic cooperation, stability and prosperity of the whole region.
At the news conference, Kotzias said that Greece wants stability in both countries, adding that accession of the whole region, particularly Macedonia, to Nato will be good for the region.
However, Kotzias underlined that if Macedonia