Greece: New government, same position

Greece’s new socialist government has announced they would continue to block Macedonia’s admission negotiations with the EU.

The reason for this is the long-standing dispute over the name of Greece’s northern neighbor.

The negotiations could be unblocked if the dispute is solved, it was announced.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said that it was “unthinkable” to start the Macedonian admission negotiations at the EU Council of Ministers on December 7 if the issue was not solved by then.

Greece is contesting Skopje’s right to use the name “Republic of Macedonia”.

Athens feels their history is being “robbed” in this way, and that it is Skopje’s way to express territorial pretensions toward the Greek northern province of Macedonia.

Greece has already blocked Macedonia’s admission to NATO.

Meanwhile, Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski, who is attending an international conference in Athens, said that he hoped that both countries would have time to “review their positions” before the EU meeting.