Greek FM Nikos Kotzias briefed political party representatives on Wednesday of recent visits of southeast European capitals, declaring afterwards that crisis-plagued Greece is “returning to the Balkans”.

The venue was a meeting of a national council on foreign policy, with Kotzias briefing participants on his talks and contacts in visits to no less than seven regional countries.

He again cited to standing policies followed, more-or-less by most Greek governments over the past two decades, namely, support for neighboring states’ Euro-Atlantic prospects and stability in the wider area.

Kotzias briefed political party representatives on standing Greek policy vis-a-vis Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM), where standing differences remain over the former Yugoslav republic insistence on exclusively using the name “Macedonia”.

He called relations with Bulgaria, which along with Albania, was outside the former “Yugosphere”, as very good and strategic. Concerning Kosovo, he said a policy dating to 2012 is continuing.

Criticism by ND

On his part, main opposition New Democracy deputy Giorgos Koumoutsakos, a former foreign ministry spokesman, sharply criticized the radical leftist government for its policy vis-a-vis fYRoM as well as NATO member Albania.

Koumoutsakos noted that Greece’s standing strategic goal for the region is stability, peace and mutually beneficial cooperation.

“A fundamental condition, however, is respect for good-neighborly relations. Only in this manner is the European prospect of the entire region ensured, particularly of the western Balkans … Unprovoked provocations and perseverance of a past steeped in nationalistic views undermine the strategic benefit of the entire region,” he said.
He also reminded that Greece’s standing position is that fYRoM’s NATO accession prospects are linked to a resolution of the “name issue”.

He also said Greek-Albanian relations should continue to progress “completely removed from nationalistic interpretations that restrict the breadth and depth of opportunities for our cooperation.”
The meeting was attended by party representatives of the government coalition, leftist SYRIZA and the rightist-populist AN.EL party, New Democracy, centrist Potami, socialist PASOK and the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn.