Papandreou talks about ties with Bearish and Gruevski

PRESPA, Nov 29 – Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou met with his counterparts from Albania, Sali Berisha, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Nikola Gruevski, in an informal meeting at the Prespa Lakes National Park last Friday. Officially, the aim of the meeting was to discuss the possible launch of a joint initiative for the conservation of the region of the Prespa Lakes, which are jointly owned by their three countries.
Nothing was made official but it was expected that Papandreou also discussed the issue with Gruevski of an ongoing dispute between Greece and FYROM over the Balkan country’s name.
Greece says it will block FYROM’s EU accession unless the country changes its name, arguing its name implies a territorial claim on Greece’s own Northern Province of Macedonia.
The three prime ministers reached an agreement to co-operate in protection and development of the region of Prespa Lakes.
In a declaration after the meeting in Pili they said their countries were committed to co-operate for the development of the common plans, strategies and measures with the aim the effective including of the aspect with the environment in the economic activities in the region of Prespa Lakes as agriculture, tourism, fishing, development of the infrastructure, energy, prevention of biodiversity and management of protected regions.
They also agreed on working to unify strengths to contribute to a strong and fair agreement in Copenhagen to fight against climate changes
They agreed to step up their efforts in protecting the eco-system in the Lake Prespa region shared by the three countries.
The agreement on the lake is expected to be signed on Feb. 2, 2010, on the 10th anniversary of the joint communiqu顦irst signed by the three countries on Feb. 2, 2000, to protect the Lake Prespa region eco-system.
“We believe that our joint activity will contribute to boost awareness on the importance of coordinated policies on environment-related issues in the region and beyond,” reads the joint declaration adopted by the three leaders ahead of the forthcoming Copenhagen summit on climate changes.
The three countries also promised to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation in water management, take prevention measures against pollution and soil erosion, as well as promote the viable management of biodiversity in the region.
There was reported no progress toward resolving a name dispute that could halt the former Yugoslav republic’s efforts to join the European Union.
FYROM has been at odds with Greece since gaining independence in 1991, because its neighbor has a region called Macedonia and fears a potential territorial claim. U.N.-backed talks have failed to end the dispute.
“Regarding Greece, I was told that their position remains the same and I cannot say that we have had any progress,” Gruevski said.
Greece blocked FYROM’s bid to join NATO over the dispute and has threatened to scuttle efforts to start membership talks with the EU.
Late Thursday, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt paid a brief visit to FYROM for talks with Gruevski and encouraged the country’s leadership to reach a compromise over the name dispute with Greece.
Gruevski on Friday said he had urged Athens not to block the EU talks at a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers later this month.
“(Vetoes) and blackmail do not get results,” Gruevski said.
Bearish expressed gratitude to Papandreou for the support and extraordinarily solidarity that the neighboring Greece showed to Albania in the application for the status of the candidate country into the EU at the meeting of November 16, 2009 of the EU foreign ministers and where the European Commission was set to move with the further steps.
Papandreou told Bearish of his full support and of the Greek government for lifting of the visa regime for the Albanian citizens. The two prime ministers agreed to work closely together for the further strengthening and consolidation of the brilliant and friendly relations that exist between the two countries as well as to extend and deepen the bilateral cooperation in all the fields of mutual interest, especially about cooperation in the economic field, tourism, agriculture, incitement of the Greek investments in Albania.
Berisha demanded from his Greek counterpart that Greece recognizes Albanian driver’s license for Albanian emigrants in Greece and this would be an extraordinarily assistance and contribution for all those Albanian emigrants who use cars for their daily transportation in Greek territory.
“This meeting serves as an indicator of the very good and friendly relations and of the trilateral cooperation in service of peace, sustainable economic development, the further regional integration and the fast integration of Albania and FYROM as well as of the other Western Balkan countries into the EU, to the benefit of the common good and progress of the three countries and the prosperity of their citizens,” according to a statement from the Tirana government.
While thanking Papandreou for the initiative of the Greek government to set a final deadline for the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU by 2014, in accordance with the agenda of the Thessaloniki summit, Berisha and Gruevski also assessed the meeting as an example of interaction and close regional cooperation which will make a new contribution to the acceleration of the joint efforts for the integration of these countries into the EU.
Papandreou assured the two prime ministers that Greece will strongly support the efforts of the two neighboring countries for a fast EU integration.