Greece's EU presidency will be used by the 'Friends of Macedonia' group to exert pressure by asking why Athens is hindering EU's enlargement and fails to abide by international law, said German MEP Martin Kastler at Monday's joint press conference in Skopje with his Estonian counterpart Tunne Kelam and Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki.

He thinks that it is a shame the way Macedonia and its people are treated in terms of the European integration because what Greece is doing is not in line with European values.

MEP Kelam said that Macedonia was getting more and more friends across Europe pointing out that there was no room for 'hopeless situations, depression or cynicism.'

"The efforts made will pay off sooner or later... Macedonia's destiny is the destiny of Europe which cannot be complete without Macedonia," stressed the Estonian MEP.

He welcomed the consensus i.e. the memorandum signed by 17 parliamentary parties endorsing the country's EU integration strategy.

MEP Kelam and FM Poposki have both agreed that Macedonia in mid-October would get a positive progress report fifth year in a row, which is seen as an encouraging development regarding the EU integration.

Asked whether a mechanism existed to force Greece to negotiate and settle the name dispute, Kelam said that there was no such specific mechanism. "Each member has the sacred right to disagree, however, there is a moment when quantity transitions into quality and when the majority says it's enough."

Both Kastler and Kelam are part of a group of MEPs who will be visiting Macedonia to extend support for its EU integration bid prior to the unveiling of this year's progress report by the European Commission.

They are also set to meet with PM Nikola Gruevski later in the day.