NATO membership, Kotzias overturns Skopje's hopes

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has ruled out Macedonia's integration into NATO without having a solution to the name issue.

The statement he made at a joint press conference with Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov, who has held his first visit to Athens, where no results have been achieved during the previous talks.

"Greece wants the whole Western Balkans region to become part of the Euro-Atlantic system, but the question is how much they want these countries to become," Kotzias said.

He stressed that no one should wait for Greece to withdraw. "They can not ask us to follow our beliefs, but they do not," Kotzias said.

The head of Greek diplomacy has stated that Athens wants Macedonia to become a NATO member, finding a compromise solution to the name issue.

"And immediately afterwards the two neighboring countries will go to the UN and sign a new agreement, which will be finally declared in Brussels to all international organizations", continued Kotzias.

This dialogue, which has just begun, will be followed by the visit of Kotzi to Skopje in August and according to the two ministers, if there is a positive approach from both sides, it will serve as a guarantee for the resolution of the name issue.

"But it is not enough only positive predisposition, though it is a good basis for joint negotiations," added Kotzias.