Greek foreign policy – particularly the ongoing negotiations under the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for the Greece-FYROM talks, Mr. Nimetz, aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution on the FYROM name issue – was the focus of the speeches delivered by Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis before the governing party’s Parliamentary Group. Both of them highlighted Greece’s efforts to reach a settlement on the FYROM name issue, which has been pending for 17 years, as well as our country’s desire to find “a mutually acceptable solution on the basis of a truly compound name, with a clear qualification and valid for everyone.” The Prime Minister stressed that “there has been nothing from the other side but messages of a persisting intransigence that is alien to the European mindset,” pointing out that the result of this intransigence was the loss of precious time, by no fault of Greece. The Foreign Minister stressed that Greece wants a solution because “such a solution is needed for the region’s long-term stability. We want to resolve this issue once and for all, not settle it any old way. We do not want a solution in order to save face; we do not want a solution for its own sake.” The Prime Minister stressed that “without a mutually acceptable solution, there cannot be a membership invitation. Allied relations – relations of solidarity, stability and cooperation – cannot be built on pending issues that have a negative impact on neighbourly relations.”

Full text of the Prime Minister's speech on foreign policy...

Full text of the Foreign Minister's speech...