Greece's Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed the willingness of Athens to help, if asked, in the de-escalation of tensions in neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The violent attacks against several lawmakers by demonstrators, who stormed the parliament building in Skopjie on Thursday in protest of the election of a new parliament speaker, will be one of the topics discussed during Friday's informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Malta, the Greek Foreign Ministry said.

"It is with sorrow and concern that we see FYROM backsliding into deep political crisis. A crisis that -- if it is to be dealt with -- requires that the involved parties show respect for the principles of democracy, legality and the rule of law," read an e-mailed press statement issued by the Greek Foreign Ministry.

"Greece, which has long supported the principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of neighboring countries, stands ready, whenever asked to do so, to contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis based on the principles of international law and respect for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of FYROM," it was stressed.

The two countries have long disputed over the use of the name of Macedonia since Greece's northern neighbor broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Macedonia is the name of Greece's northern province and Athens has worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could imply territorial claims. Endit

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