Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-03-11
CONTENTS
[01] DM Meimarakis on FYROM
[01] DM Meimarakis on FYROM
Greek Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis said on Tuesday that, until
the NATO summit in Bucharest next month, there was enough time for the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to cover the distance
belonging to it in order to meet the Greek side in seeking a mutually
acceptable solution to its name issue.
Meimarakis, who was speaking during a press conference at the end of a
Southeast Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) defence ministers meeting
in Sofia, also reminded of developments surrounding the issue in past
years and stressed that Greece has taken a step forward to meet the
other side, accepting a composite name for the landlocked republic.
He added that "if the other side is willing to take a step forward too,
we will find a solution before the NATO summit in Bucharest. Otherwise,
there will be only one side to be blamed."
Meimarakis further said that Greece supports in every way the candidate
countries from the Western Balkans in their accession course towards
NATO, as well as the developmnent of bilateral relations with them,
while mentioning the dynamic increase in economic cooperation with
FYROM, where big Greek investments have taken place.
The defence minister reiterated that Athens is expecting Skopje to meet
it halfway towards a mutually acceptable solution and expressed the
hope that wisdom and logic will prevail in FYROM.
Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Greek Defence Minister Evangelos
Meimarakis.
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