Foreign Ministry spokesperson Konstantinos Koutras made the following statement in response to a journalist’s question regarding a reference to the issue of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in yesterday’s Joint Communiqué from the Conference of Western Balkan States, in Berlin.

“Greece supports the negotiation process with the mediation of the UN Secretary General’s personal envoy, Matthew Nimetz, for finding a mutually acceptable solution to the FYROM name issue. The Greek position has been stated with absolute clarity and is a responsible stance, in accordance not only with national sensitivities, but also with European perceptions of international legality. Thus, the key to substantial progress in this process does not lie in Athens. As the Greek side has stressed repeatedly, the name issue is not bilateral, but is an issue of respect for international law, an issue that pertains to good neighborly relations and regional stability. As such, it is an issue that, for the European Union, is related to the general implementation of the Copenhagen criteria. Moreover, with regard to the country in question, there are also other critical pending issues that were noted in the latest relevant conclusions of the European Council, in December 2013.”