Greece hopeful of solution to dispute

Greece hopes new Macedonian President Georgi Ivanov will work on resolving the question of the country’s constitutional name in line with EU and NATO decisions.

Izvor: Tanjug

Thursday, 09.04.2009.

09:32

Default images

Greece hopes new Macedonian President Georgi Ivanov will work on resolving the question of the country’s constitutional name in line with EU and NATO decisions. Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said that Athens believed that the presidential elections held in Macedonia on April 5 constituted “a step towards European election norms.“ Greece hopeful of solution to dispute Koumoutsakos added, however, that “reform efforts have to continue to enable fulfillment of the criteria for integrating the country into Euro-Atlantic institutions,“ reported the Greek ANA agency. The spokesman conveyed the appraisal of international observers that the presidential and local elections in Macedonia had passed off peacefully and that there had been no irregularities that could have affected the result. However, international observers stressed that there was still room for improvement as they had identified cases of voter intimidation and double voting, he said. Greece and Macedonia have been involved in a long-running dispute over the latter’s constitutional name, claiming that it carries territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of the same name. The dispute led to Greece vetoing Macedonia’s accession to NATO.

Greece hopeful of solution to dispute

Koumoutsakos added, however, that “reform efforts have to continue to enable fulfillment of the criteria for integrating the country into Euro-Atlantic institutions,“ reported the Greek ANA agency.

The spokesman conveyed the appraisal of international observers that the presidential and local elections in Macedonia had passed off peacefully and that there had been no irregularities that could have affected the result.

However, international observers stressed that there was still room for improvement as they had identified cases of voter intimidation and double voting, he said.

Greece and Macedonia have been involved in a long-running dispute over the latter’s constitutional name, claiming that it carries territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of the same name.

The dispute led to Greece vetoing Macedonia’s accession to NATO.

Komentari 3

Pogledaj komentare

3 Komentari

Možda vas zanima

Podeli: