Europe
11:29, 02-Apr-2019
Greek prime minister to visit North Macedonia in afterglow of name deal
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Greece's prime minister Tuesday will pay a historic visit to newly renamed North Macedonia to join in marking the end of a decades-long identity row between the two countries, making the first official visit by a Greek premier since North Macedonia's 1991 independence.
The one-day trip comes a month after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev finalized the deal that added "North" to Macedonia's name to distinguish it from a bordering province in Greece.
Macedonia and Greece recently resolved their long-standing dispute when the former agreed to change their country name to "Republic of North Macedonia," clearing thus the biggest obstacle for the Balkan country's bid for NATO and the European Union (EU).
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Now the neighbors are also touting the promise of boosting economic ties, with Tsipras bringing along 10 ministers and more than two dozen Greek business leaders on the trip.
Ahead of the visit, Zaev told reporters there would be new Greek investments worth more than 500 million euros in North Macedonia. "The Republic of North Macedonia will have huge economic benefits from the deal that I believe will be seen in every area of the economy," he added.
After political meetings and a press conference on Tuesday, the two leaders are scheduled to attend a trade forum in Skopje.
(Cover: Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev (R) welcomes Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the shore of Lake Prespa near Otesevo, June 17, 2018. /VCG Photo)
Source(s): AFP