A foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday afternoon announced that the Greek government has notified its chief negotiator in UN-brokered FYROM "name issue" talks to convey Athens' "objections, observations and proposed changes" vis-a-vis a new proposal submitted by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz here on Tuesday.
Spokesman George Koumoutsakos said Amb. Adamantios Vassilakis was instructed to contact Nimetz over the issue.
Athens and Skopje are in the process for negotiating a mutually acceptable solution to the thorny "name issue".

Government condemns leak of Nimetz document

Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Thursday condemned the leak of a confidential document presented to Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) by UN special envoy Matthew Nimetz. An unofficial translation of the full document, which outlined Nimetz's proposals to the two sides for a final settlement of the name dispute between Greece and FYROM, appeared in the Thursday edition of the Greek newspaper "To Vima".

"The government is determined to proceed with this difficult negotiations in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution," Roussopoulos said when asked what the government intended to do next, while adding that the leak would hamper this process and was condemned by the government, whatever its source.

Commenting on the reactions of individual MPs, meanwhile, Roussopoulos clarified that the Nimetz proposals in their present form contained points that could not be accepted as they stood, while others required further clarifications and still others might be acceptable under certain conditions.

"I cannot and will not say anything more," he added.

FM briefs parliament speaker on Nimetz proposal; leak condemned

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanis met on Thursday with Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas, whom she briefed on the latest developments in the FYROM "name issue".

The minister later briefed members of a parliamentary committee on national defense and foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, a foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday sternly condemned what he called a "leak" of the Nimetz proposal by an Athens daily.

"Every leak of documents, confidential or not, is absolutely condemned," spokesman George Koumoutsakos said.

"The only incentive for such a leak can only be the perpetuation of the 17-year-old negotiating impasse regarding the FYROM 'name issue'," he added.

FM Bakoyannis addresses Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis addressed the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, saying that the proposal by UN mediator Matthew Nimetz on the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) "provides possibilities for persistent, but substantive negotiating in the framework of the existing process. It has points that cannot be accepted as they stand, but which require clarification and others that could be accepted in principle under conditions."

The Committee's session was held following a relevant request by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).

Bakoyannis stressed at the beginning of her address that the steadfast pursuit of the Greek government is the adoption of mutually acceptable solutions to the problems that are arising from the new developments in the region of the Balkans:

Consequently, she said on the issue of the declaration of Kosovo's independence that "I am not pleased, but we cannot react on the basis of our sentimentality but on the basis of the tough reality."

The foreign minister backed Greece's joint signing of the communique issued by the "27" at the end of the European Union's General Affairs and Foreign Relations Council on Monday, as well as the remaining of a Greek military force in KFOR.
"The common position of the EU, confirms that the case of Kosovo cannot constitute a precedent, since it is a sui generis case the uniqueness of which cannot in the least create the slightest suspicion that our adherrence to the UN's charter can be doubted," she said.

On the question of Greece's position on Kosovo, the foreign minister said that "whatever our decisions will be, they will be taken following a detailed examination of developments. A focal position is held, however, by the recognition of the role of Serbia in securing stability in the Balkans."

Main opposition PASOK party foreign affairs rapporteur Panos Beglitis said about the Nimetz proposals that "our fears of a double name are being confirmed. We have a clear change in the negotiating basis here - and if there is mobility, it is because there is a substantive change in the negotiating acquis after the 1992-1993 period."

As regards Kosovo, Beglitis accused the foreign minister of consenting with a decision by the EU "that exorcises fears of a negative precedent."

PASOK Deputy Dinos Vrettos requested that "the Greek troops must be withdrawn," while Panos Sgouridis said that "Greece must say until the end that it will not recognize the state of Kosovo."

Speaking on behalf of KKE, Spyros Halvatzis said that "there are no stable and viable solutions to problems that are created by imperialist interventions" and called for the withdrawal of Greek troops from Kosovo, saying that with its independence "a negative precedent is also being created for the issue of Cyprus" and added that "we call on the government not to recognize the puppet government of the Americans."

On the part of the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA), Thanassis Dritsas accused the government of "dragging its feet" in the effort to prevent the independence of Kosovo, to which his party is categorically opposed. As regards the name of FYROM, he stressed that "the mutually acceptable name is the big wager for peaceful coexistence, no matter how long it takes, and no foreign intervention is acceptable."

Costas Aivaliotis of the Orthodox Popular Rally (LAOS) party termed the independence of Kosovo an "extremely regrettable development" and underlined the possibility "of us saying that whatever change in Kosovo is linked to the implementation of the acquis communautaire in Northern Epirus, where the Greek element is being oppressed in many ways."

He reiterated that his party is opposed to a double name and to whichever name contains derivatives of the word "Macedonia" and called for "democratic resorting to the people with a referendum" on the issue.

Source: Athens News Agency

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