"Greece to help Kosovo join international organizations"

Greek Foreign Minister Nikolaos Kotzias has said that his country "will support Kosovo's membership in international bodies and security organizations."
Source: Beta, Tanjug Wednesday, 15.07.2015. | 10:08

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According to the announcement, Mustafa with and the Greek minister spoke about "relations between the two countries" and the possibilities of deepening cooperation.

The statement said that Mustafa thanked Kotzias "for the support that Greece has given in the process of Kosovo's membership in international organizations and integration processes in the EU."

Mustafa was further quoted as saying that "the conditions are ripe for further promotion of relations between Greece and Kosovo."

After meeting with his Kosovo counterpart in Pristina, the Greek foreign minister said that that this "does not mean that Greece could recognize Kosovo, but represents an effort to establish better relations between Athens and Pristina."

Greece is one of five EU member-countries that have not recognized the ethnic Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo made in early 2008 - but reports said it was "the only one among the five that recognizes documents issued by Kosovo."

"I invited (Hashim) Thaci to come to Athens. We are waiting for him. We have decided to open an office of Kosovo. Our proposal is that the office can be located wherever you want, in Thessaloniki or in Athens. But I think that Thaci prefers Athens," said Kotzias.

In addition, he promised that within the existing framework of cooperation Greece will support "Kosovo's membership in the EU and NATO, as well as membership in other international organizations such as Interpol and UNESCO."

Asked by reporters "whether Greece will recognize Kosovo" he, according to the Pristina media, "remained vague" - saying that Greece will help Kosovo to join some international organizations and announcing that Greece will open a cooperation office in Kosovo.

In its statement, Kosovo's Minsitry of Foreign Affairs stressed this was "the first visit of a Greek chief of diplomacy to Kosovo."

According to the RTK2 broadcaster, Thaci said that the meeting covered many topics - including the establishment of a special court - that should deal with KLA crimes.

"This issue should not be delayed, but it will not be put up for a vote (in the assembly) before it's determined that there is a sufficient number of votes of MPs," said Thaci.

Thaci "thanked his Greek counterpart for his contribution to his country provides in maintaining peace and stability in the region, as well as the support that Kosovo receives from Greece in the Euro-Atlantic path."

"We expect investors from Greece to come to Kosovo, invest and feel good here. I take this opportunity to once again invite others to invest in Kosovo. We live in the same region and have the same values,"said Thaci.

Kotzias did not wish to comment on the economic crisis in Greece, saying that "MPs will decide on that."