Macedonian PM Zoran Zaev’s recent statements damage the process of implementation of the Prespa Agreement, said the former Greek FM Nikos Kotzias in an interview for the Greek TV Antenna. At the debate in the Macedonian parliament over the constitutional changes predicted with the Prespa Agreement, PM Zaev commented that the agreement will open the possibility for Macedonian language to ...
Read More »Outgoing and Incoming Greek FMs Rejoice at Parliament Vote
Today is a day of joy for the incoming and the outgoing foreign minister of Greece following Friday’s outcome of the vote in the Macedonian Parliament over the initiative for constitutional revision. Despite the resignation, outgoing Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said they are happy, MIA reports from Athens. The handover of the post from Kotzias ...
Read More »PM Zaev on Greece’s Commitment to Agreement and MPs Vote Friday
We remain committed with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras over the perspectives of the new Balkans in the 21st century. A region of friendship, cooperation, economic growth and happier citizens, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Thursday. PM Zaev was referring to Wednesday’s telephone conversation with his Greek counterpart and following the resignation of Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias. Zaev said Tsipras ...
Read More »US State Department Official Urges Leaders in Macedonia to Seize Opportunity
We urge leaders in the Macedonian parliament to rise above partisan politics and seize this historic opportunity to secure a brighter future for the country, US State Department official told Greece’s state-run news agency ANA-MPA. In regard to the resignation of Greece’s FM Nikos Kotzias, the US State Department thanked the Greek official for his dedicated service to improving Greek-US ...
Read More »FM Dimitrov Letter to Kotzias on Resignation
Macedonia’s FM Nikola Dimitrov wished success to Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, who resigned on Wednesday and promised commitment in the process of finalizing the Prespa Agreement. “In only one year, we managed to achieve something that in the past 27 years was considered to be impossible – we brought our two countries closer and we signed the historic Prespa ...
Read More »Greek FM Kotzias Resigns
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has resigned following a disagreement with the defense minister over the handling of a recent deal which would change Macedonia’s name in exchange for Greece dropping its objections to the country joining NATO, AP reported. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced Wednesday he had accepted Kotzias’ resignation, and said he would take over the foreign ministry ...
Read More »Greek PM Tsipras Encourages Macedonian Officials to Continue Process
I encourage the neighbor to proceed with determination and courage and to make the decisive step while completing the obligations stemming from the historic Prespa Agreement, because there will be no other opportunity, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said speaking to reporters after accepting the resignation of FM Nikos Kotzias. In a four-minute statement Tsipras conveyed several messages referring to ...
Read More »Greek FM Kotzias: We Cannot Change Universal Right to Self-Determination
We cannot change the universal right the neighbours to be called Macedonians, at an individual or unofficial level, but we can call them however we want, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said on Sunday in an interview with Greek news agency ANA-MPA. He explained that when talking about at an individual level, “only a totalitarian state and a state with ...
Read More »New Democracy’s Bakoyiannis on ‘Macedonians’ and ‘Macedonian’ Language
Greek opposition New Democracy feels FM Kotzias has committed a mistake in allowing for the nationality ‘Macedonian’ and the ‘Macedonian’ language. Former FM Dora Bakoyiannis in a statement with Radio 24/7 said the nationality item could be ‘citizens of…’ instead of ‘Macedonians’. “All in New Democracy agrees that it was a big mistake by Mr Kotzias to grant the nationality ...
Read More »Greek FM Assures Name Deal will be Ratified in Parliament
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has expressed confidence that the name agreement would get the green light from members of the Greek Parliament, including MPs from the junior coalition partner Independent Greeks. “The agreement with North Macedonia will be passed in Parliament. But, I want to make this clear – we are aiming at a majority of over 150 votes ...
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