MACEDONIA AND GREECE TO START BUILDING TRUST VIA MARKOVA NOGA

The Markova Noga border crossing in Prespa could be the first project to be carried out of the series of trust-building measures between Macedonia and Greece, sources from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries have told Dnevnik off the record.

The opening of this border crossing, according to the sources, is quite realistic because it is in the interest of both countries and because it is not a political but practical measure. The Greek MFA is said to be making preparations for the implementation of this project, a difficulty being the absence of infrastructure on the Greek side of the border.

“This can be solved with finances from the EU funds. However, all the Schengen criteria for a border crossing will have to be met,” sources have told Dnevnik.

Sources from the Macedonian MFA, on the other hand, say one should not be overly optimistic bearing in mind the past experience.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki is going to hold a bilateral meeting with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias in Budapest on Tuesday and is going to present the Macedonian proposal of trust-building measures. Aside from the Markova Noga border crossing, his list is said to include such practical measures of cooperation as signing an agreement on double taxation avoidance, establishing a parliamentary committee, or to be more exact, committees in both parliaments responsible to promote the principle of mutual respect for the territorial integrity, not interfering in the other country’s home affairs, and extending mutual support in European integration processes.