Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said the new year would be one where a series of stagnant foreign affairs issues for decades would be finally resolved, exiting a meeting at the Maximos Hall on the matter of the name dispute with FYROM. He said that the government was in favour of a compound name for FYROM to be used in all international fora, adding that the Tsipras administration would cooperate with all the political parties that desired solutions to the problems plaguing the country for so long.
Asked whether he was optimistic, Mr. Kotzias responded he was “always optimistic”.

Asked whether he is optimistic about a solution, the Foreign Minister replied smiling that “I am always optimistic”.

On his part, Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, stressed twice that he had absolute confidence in the Foreign Minister, referring to two historic decisions on the matter: the decision reached at the meeting of political leaders under Konstantinos Karamanlis and the second in Bucharest during the NATO Summit.

Asked whether he insisted on his position on the term Macedonia, he noted that “I said from the very first moment that the Greek term Macedonia as decided on the Political Chiefs Council is a standing position. I insist on it, and I believe that the solution reached will safeguard our national interests and will be acceptable by the whole political establishment.”