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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-03-29
CONTENTS
[01] FM repeats views on 'name issue'
[01] FM repeats views on 'name issue'
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Saturday reiterated Athens'
heightened interest in stability and the continuing development of the
entire Balkan region, "although on proper foundations", speaking after
an informal EU foreign ministers' meeting (Gymnich) here.
Asked about her telephone conversation a day earlier with US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, Bakoyannis said she merely reiterated
Greece's positions regarding stability and development in the Balkans.
"(Greece) ⦠desires, however, that this development and stability come
on top of proper foundations. And a proper foundation is solution of
long-standing problems, one of which, of course, is the (FYROM) 'name
issue', over which we are in negotiations with the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in the UN framework."
In commenting on next week's Bucharest NATO summit, the Greek FM said
the goal is not "expansion for expansion's sake ... the goal is for
NATO expansion leading to relations between allies, ones built on the
principles we all believe in."
Asked if there was still enough time to find a mutually acceptable
solution to the nagging "name issue", Bakoyannis reminded that there
are "two to three days before the (NATO) summit, but we will continue
with negotiations ⦠problems of the past should not get in the way of
relations enjoyed by allies, which must be based on very strong
foundations. We will continue negotiations until a mutually acceptable
solution is found."
Caption: Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis (L), Spain's Miguel
Angel Morations (C) and Portugal's Luis Amado (R) talk during their
walk to a morning conference at the informal meeting of EU Ministers of
Foreign Affairs at Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, on 29 March 2008.
ANA-MPA/ EPA/Voranc Vogel
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