Kotzias in Belgrade: “We have not recognized Kosovo diplomatically and we won’t”

11/04/2018 17:11

The Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, declared in a press conference from Belgrade that Athens has not recognized Kosovo diplomatically, and has no intention to do it in the future.

“There is an old agreement from the previous governments of PASOK and New Democracy for opening a new trade office of Kosovo in Athens. When it will be opened, it will not be a diplomatic representation of Kosovo”, he said.

“The consulate is about the diplomatic representation and the rights of diplomatic authorities. We have not agreed for this and we don’t have any plans to agree”, he said.

His Serbian counterpart also rebuked press articles talking about the opening of a Kosovo consulate in Athens, confirming that there have been only talks about opening an commercial office for Kosovo. But this doesn’t change the stance of Greece regarding its status.

Both Ministers were asked also for the name with Macedonia. For KOtzias, the key of the Ochrid talks with his counterpart, Dimitrov, is the realization, pragmatization and concept of reaching a compromise that will be resisting time, from which should profit both sides. And this means that you cannot win everything in a negotiation.

Ivica Dacic criticized the fact that the former Yugoslav Federation has recognized the constitutional name of the FYROM, while Skopje’s behavior towards Serbia was not what expected, since they recognized Kosovo’s independence.

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