Greece considers name of Macedonia as outstanding issue

Greece considers the name of Macedonia as one of the "outstanding issues" the country seeks to resolve in a peaceful manner through a dialogue.

Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis said this in his address to a two-day seminar organized by one of Greece's inter-branch officers' school in Thessaloniki.

"Greece supported the entry of Balkan countries in Euro-Atlantic structures, the development of regional cooperation, consolidating good neighborly relations and the peaceful resolution of outstanding issues, such as the name of Macedonia", Meimarakis said.

He stressed that Greece is taking a leading role in the effort to transform the Balkans into a neighborhood of peace, stability and growth.

"We must not allow things to backslide and Greece is working systematically to establish an environment of trust, mutual understanding and cooperation. Because the requirement is chiefly to create an atmosphere of mutual trust, so that there is honest and substantive dialogue for the solution of problems," the Minister said.