Greece rules out discussion of minority issues in talks with Macedonia

06/08/2008

ATHENS, Greece -- Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis says Greece will not allow inclusion of the Macedonian minority issue in UN-mediated talks with Macedonia regarding their long-standing name dispute. "The only issue to be discussed is the name," Bakoyannis told journalists Tuesday (August 5th), after meeting with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. Greek and Macedonian representatives will meet with UN special envoy Matthew Nimetz for a new round of talks on August 14th in New York. These will be the first since Skopje asked Athens to recognise the existence of an ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece last month. (Kathimerini, Naftemporiki, Ethnos, Ta nea, Apogevmatini, Eleftheros typos - 06/08/08; ANA-MPA, In.news - 05/08/08)