Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met with his counterpart Nikola Dimitrov from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Thursday ahead of the crucial UN mediated meeting on January 17. .
Kotzias and Dimitrov discussed ways to move forward with the name dispute amid all the recent rumors and speculation which fuelled concerns on both sides.
"The meeting was held within the framework of the established dialogue and consultations between the two countries, directed towards strengthening the transparency and mutual trust," the ministry said, adding that the ministers agreed to take a more direct role in the talks to overcome the difference over the name.
Both foreign ministers said during the meeting they focused on the advancement of bilateral relations and cooperation in a wider context related to the ongoing Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and expressed their joint expectation that at the forthcoming meeting on 17 January UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy Matthew Nimetz will table an initial framework that will be used to move the process essentially forward.
They also exchanged views with regard to confidence building measures and other arrangements for the next meetings at high political level between the two countries.
