Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias to tour Balkans

In agenda of Kotzias in Tirana, bilateral Greek - Albanian relations, stability of the region, the properties of the Greek Community, Himara Issue ecct

7 May 2015

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias late on Wednesday, in statements to a radio station, expressed his intention for an active foreign policy in the Balkans with specific immediate steps.
He announced that he will make a tour to the Western Balkans (Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and FYROM) next June while the revival of tripartite cooperation with two EU Member States - Romania and Bulgaria - is among his plans.

We are, he said, "three countries that should have an opinion and view on the rest of the Balkans, because, if we do not have, third forces may monopolise operations in the Western Balkans".
Concerning the Western Balkans, Kotzias noted that "it is a source of instability. And the source of instability generates nationalism and nationalism may cause problems."

He clarified that "the role of Greece is not to become a part of this problem, but to defend its national interests and act in a manner that will solve its own issues and the issues of other states in relation with the EU."