Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas stated in Brussels that Greece is a country which has good relations with both Serbia and Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) and which will explore all possibilities of finding a solution acceptable for both sides, the Greek news agency ANA reported.

Even though the opinion of the ICJ, Greece, like all other EU member states that have not recognized Kosovo's independence, will not change its position, Droutsas said after the session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

According to ANA, Droutsas stressed Greece's intention of supporting the EU integration of the Balkan countries, and announced his visit to Belgrade and Pristina.

For a long time, Greece has been under heavy pressure from the USA and influential members of the EU to recognize the independence of Kosovo.

It’s been blackmailed by the EU and the United States whose contribution is the greatest to the IMF’s €110 billion financing package put together to pull Greece out of an economic quagmire and help bring stability to the euro area.

Since 1999, Greece has been supporting Serbia for an independent Kosovo. It did not recognize Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 but following a ruling by the International Court of Justice that supports Kosovo's independence declaration, it’s apparent that months to come will see more pressure on the Greek authorities.

Although it’s not in favor of Kosovo’s independence, Greece recognized Kosovo’s passports in the fall of 2008.

“The Greek government decided to recognize the passports of citizens from Kosovo and to start issuing visas in the Greek office in Pristina”, said head of the Greek Liaison Office in Pristina, Dimitris Moschopoulos. After a meeting with the Kosovo PM Hasim Thaci, Moschopoulos noted that he introduced Thaci to the decision of the Greek Government to recognize Kosovo passports.

In early 2010 when he visited Greece, Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu said: “I cannot say now when they will recognize Kosovo's status because they are a sovereign state. But what is positive is that Greece is actively involved in all the issues in Kosovo. I believe that Greece will move positively."

Hajredin Kuçi, Deputy Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, has confirmed that Pristina is in close talks with Athens on the recognition of Kosovo's independence.

Albanian media say that the confirmation came shortly after an alleged statement by Greek PM Yorgo Papandreu that Greece would recognize Kosovo if the Cyprus issue were solved and Serbia granted EU candidate status.

Greece is under enormous pressure from EU allies, friends in the US and NATO to decide by the fall on the Kosovo independence. It is gradually set to retreat from Kosovo.

While Athens is fighting a large debt crisis, Greece will considerably reduce its presence in the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

Over 600 soldiers and the accompanying personnel will be gradually withdrawn from Kosovo starting from November, in accordance with the wider plan for the withdrawal of the peacekeeping NATO force, Greek Army spokesman Nikos Bonoras was quoted as saying. “The planned general reduction of KFOR troops from 10,000 to 2,000 makes the job easier for us,” Bonoras said.

All in all, the administration in Washington and Brussels (the EU and NATO) will lobby by all means that another 45 up to 55 countries recognize Kosovo before the UN General Assembly.

Strategically, it is in the interest of both the US and the EU for Greece to recognize Kosovo primarily because Greece is the number one opponent to Kosovo’s independence, next to Spain.

Second, Greece populates several hundreds of Albanians from Kosovo, FYROM and Albania. In terms of workforce, the Albanians make up a powerful ethnic population in Greece.

What’s evident is that the ruling by the International Court of Justice will affect the relationship between Turkey and Greece when it comes to Cyprus and the consequences will be both diplomatic and political.

Turkey is getting overly upset about the north of Cyprus where about 40,000 Turkish soldiers are stationed.

Now that the die has been cast by the ICT and Kosovo secession from Serbia declared legal in accordance with international law, everything is possible.