Kotzias

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on Tuesday dismissed claims by a former lawmaker of the junior government coalition partner that the government rushed to sign a deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on its name on Sunday in the hope of securing a favorable agreement on debt relief at the next Eurogroup meeting.

Against the scenic backdrop of the Prespes Lake district in northern Greece, Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his counterpart from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Nikola Dimitrov, on Sunday signed a landmark agreement to change the Balkan country's name in the presence of their prime ministers and foreign officials.

After more than two days of vehement debate in Parliament, the government on Saturday survived a no-confidence vote brought against it by the main opposition New Democracy party, but with one less MP.

A parliamentary debate on a no-confidence motion against the government, lodged by conservative New Democracy, is likely to become even more acrimonious on Saturday as Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is expected to submit documents revealing how previous governments handled the Macedonia name talks over the years. 

Final preparations were under way in Athens and Skopje on Friday for the signing of a historic agreement settling a decades old name dispute between the two Balkan neighbors.

Sunday continued to appear as the most likely day for the signing ceremony, which will take place on the northern shore of Big Prespa Lake, on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's side of the border.

The publisher of fringe newspaper Makeleio, Stefanos Chios, was arrested Thursday over a title that said the Greek president, prime minister and foreign minister must all be shot in the head because of the name deal between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The head of Athens's First instance Prosecutor's office Ilias Zagoreos ordered on Wednesday an emergency investigation into the extreme-right tabloid Makeleio, which published a front page showing the president, the prime minister and the foreign minister being shot by a firing squad for "selling out" Macedonia in the deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The name deal reached between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will eliminate irredentist pretensions in Skopje, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said Wednesday.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday as he will be in Moscow on a working visit.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 10.30 a.m., ahead of a joint press briefing set for an hour later.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on Tuesday slammed conservative New Democracy for criticizing a deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on the name issue announced earlier in the day.