After the end of the Russo-Ottoman war in 1877-78, Greece presented itself at the Congress of Berlin (13th June-July, 1878) in order to receive practical recognition from the Powers for its wise attitude during the Balkan crisis. Through the intermediation of England, a Greek delegation consisting of the minister of Foreign Affairs, Theodore Diligiannis and Alexander Risos Ragavis presented the Greek positions to the plenary session of the Congress on 17th-29th July. The Greek delegation requested the annexation of Epirus, Thessaly and Crete.

With the 13th protocol, the congress 'invited the Top Kapi to agree with Greece on a [new] adjustment to the borders of Thessaly and Epirus'. The congress proposed the line of the rivers Kalamas-Salamvria; this adjustment allowed Greece to have a large part of Epirus and Thessaly.
With article 24, the six Powers offered to intervene in order to 'facilitate' both parties in the event of an impasse at the negotiations between the sides.
The Ottoman delegation in Berlin reacted strongly to the prospect of conceding land and followed a diversionary policy at the negotiations for the designation of the borders. The final adjustment was only achieved after hard negotiations on the part of both sides and the Powers, which lasted three years.
The Greek government, by note to the Powers on 8th-20th January 1881, asked for the enforcement of their 'just and appropriate decisions, according to the measures they deemed right', in order to establish peace. Despite its verbal persistence, the Greek government had in fact secretly accepted a propposal that was negative for it, and gradually withdrew from the borders proposed in the Treaty of Berlin.

Greece did not participate in the negotiations of Constantinople on the definitive settlement of the matter, which began on 20th February 1881. The ambassadors of the six Powers who communicated with Athens negotiated the Greek positions.
The issue of the borders of Thessaly had been settled by the beginning of 1883. Thessaly, except for Elassona and the city of Arta, with a little continental land, was given to the Greek state. The issue of the borders of Thessaly would be dealt with again after the temporary occupation of Thessaly by Ottoman troops in 1897.