BRUSSELS 26/4/2005 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)
Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis, representing Greece at the European Union foreign ministers' conference held in Luxembourg, expressed the hope that Monday's signing of the accession treaty of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU will strengthen the European prospects of Balkan countries in general.

Valinakis said that for Greece the gradual incorporation of the Balkans in unified Europe constitutes an option of strategic importance, adding that the impending accession of Bulgaria and Romania is a development of fundamental significance in this direction.

As regards the Balkans in particular, the deputy foreign minister stressed the satisfaction of Greek diplomacy on the completion of the feasibility study prepared by the EU on the European prospects of Serbia-Montenegro.
He also stressed the need for the continuation of intercommunal negotiations for the prospects of Kosovo, as well as the need for the Kosovo Serbs' participation in general consultations concerning its future.

Satisfaction was also expressed by the Greek side on references made in the Council's finalized text of decisions concerning the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), in which the need for solving the problem of FYROM's name issue is noted, as well as the need for its further democratization, particularly in light of the opinion to be presented by the Commission in autumn on FYROM's EU accession application.

Source: Athens News Agency

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