Kotzias to visit Skopje again after Easter

In the middle of next week, following the Orthodox Easter holidays, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will travel to Skopje again, where he will meet with Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov. The date has not yet been determined, but the visit has already been agreed upon, report diplomatic sources.
The intensification of meetings between Kotzias and Dimitrov, according to the Greek media, points to the readiness of both sides to reach a solution to their differences, which were established at the negotiations last week in Vienna.

According to Greek media, opening difficult chapters causes headaches on both sides. Greece’s erga omnes principle is an unbreakable “rule”, as well as the revision of the Constitution in which according to this country the new name should be entered, and a part of Article 49 should be deleted, which refers to for the Macedonian minority abroad. For Macedonia, red lines are drawn at the naming of language and nationality, while ways to solve other issues are found.

With more than two months of intense consultations on the demands of both sides, Kotzias and Dimitrov, according to Greek assessments, are now focused on familiarizing the public with those points that are thought to cause problems and reactions. Greek Foreign Minister informs the political party leaders today about the course of the negotiations and it is possible to hold a press conference in order to inform the Greek public about the latest developments. In Macedonia, Foreign Minister Dimitrov held individual meetings yesterday with political factors to brief on the details of the latest proposals, before leaving for France for the next three days.

Prime Minister  Zoran Zaev stated yesterday that he’s optimistic that a solution will be found about the name dispute, following the last round of talks held in Vienna.

The prime minister said a leadership meeting had been planned, but the opposition requested bilateral meetings, so the list included the prime minister, the head of state, the speaker of parliament, the leader of the opposition and DUI. According to Prime Minister Zaev, a leadership meeting on the name issue could be held after the Easter holidays.

“I have had a one-hour meeting with Foreign Minister Dimitrov. I know all details and I can confirm that there are positive steps forward in this regards. This, of course, is just a step. The condition in the talks means that there was an agreement on those issues that are now stepping forward when everything would be agreed. It gives the opportunity in a truly open friendly way for the two ministers to freely talk about each segment of the sensitivity of questions in order to finally find a solution to the name issue. If someone asks me if I am more or less optimistic and positive, I am more positive and more optimistic after this meeting.