SKOPJE, Republic of North Macedonia: Greece’s prime minister was greeted with hugs and selfies on Tuesday during his landmark visit to newly renamed North Macedonia, where the neighbors celebrated a new start after resolving their decades-long identity row.
The one-day trip came a little more than a month after Alexis Tsipras and counterpart Zoran Zaev finalized a deal that added “North” to Macedonia’s name to distinguish it from a bordering province in Greece.
“We are starting to cover lost ground to build a deep friendship, not only between our governments, but especially between our people,” Tsipras said.
It was the first official visit by a Greek prime minister since the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia declared independence in 1991, kicking off the name dispute that roiled diplomatic ties amid dogged wrestling over the name Macedonia and its cultural heritage.
In the end, Skopje agreed to the change in exchange for assurance that Athens would stop thwarting its efforts to join NATO and the European Union.
“Today our Republic for the first time in its history is a hosting an official visit of a Greek Prime Minister,” Zaev noted during a joint press conference, after he welcomed Tsipras with a warm embrace outside the government building and raised his mobile phone for a picture.
With the name issue behind them, the two countries are now exploring the potential of stronger economic ties, with both leaders to attend a business forum later in the day.
Tsipras, who brought ten ministers and dozens of business leaders with him, said he believed critics of the deal would be swayed once new financial, infrastructure and tourism links kick in.
“Gradually everyone will start to understand, both the Greek people and the citizens of North Macedonia, the damage that has been done over the past years when we were unable to sit together and try to solve our disputes,” he said.
After the initial name accord was inked in June 2018, congratulations poured in from around the globe for the two young premiers, who fought risky domestic political battles to push the deal through, enraging nationalists on both sides of the border.
Even before the deal was finalized, they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by 2015 winner Wided Bouchamaoui of Tunisia.
But there is still opposition to the deal among nationalist groups in both countries.
In Greece, some are angry that the deal allows its northern neighbor to continue referring to its people and language as Macedonian.
Disgruntlement is also palpable in Skopje among those who feel the name-change is an embarrassing concession and that the end-goal — entry into the EU — may never materialize.
North Macedonia is in the process of joining NATO and hoping the EU will open accession talks in June.
Yet the timeline for the latter could slide, with appetite for enlargement shrinking considerably among several members of the bloc, particularly France.
Meanwhile, in his own protest, the Balkan state’s President Gjorge Ivanov has been refusing to sign bills from parliament ever since North Macedonia became the official name.
The two-term president is to be replaced following elections later this month.
Greek PM hails new ties during landmark N. Macedonia visit
Greek PM hails new ties during landmark N. Macedonia visit
- It was the first official visit by a Greek prime minister since the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia declared independence in 1991
- With the name issue behind them, the two countries are now exploring the potential of stronger economic ties
Indonesia reaffirms Yemen’s territorial integrity, backs stability efforts amid tensions
- Statement comes after Saudi Arabia bombed a UAE weapons shipment at Yemeni port city
- Jakarta last week said it ‘appreciates’ Riyadh ‘working together’ with Yemen to restore stability
JAKARTA: Indonesia has called for respect for Yemen’s territorial integrity and commended efforts to maintain stability in the region, a day after Saudi Arabia bombed a weapons shipment from the UAE at a Yemeni port city that Riyadh said was intended for separatist forces.
Saudi Arabia carried out a “limited airstrike” at Yemen’s port city of Al-Mukalla in the southern province of Hadramout on Tuesday, following the arrival of an Emirati shipment that came amid heightened tensions linked to advances by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in the war-torn country.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “appreciates further efforts by concerned parties to maintain stability and security,” particularly in the provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahara.
“Indonesia reaffirms the importance of peaceful settlement through an inclusive and comprehensive political dialogue under the coordination of the United Nations and respecting Yemen’s legitimate government and territorial integrity,” Indonesia’s foreign affairs ministry said.
The latest statement comes after Jakarta said last week that it “appreciates the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as other relevant countries, working together with Yemeni stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and restore stability.”
Saudi Arabia leads the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which includes the UAE and was established in 2015 to combat the Houthi rebels, who control most of northern Yemen.
Riyadh has been calling on the STC, which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthi rebels, to withdraw after it launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed government troops last month, seeking an independent state in the south.
Indonesia has also urged for “all parties to exercise restraint and avoid unilateral action that could impact security conditions,” and has previously said that the rising tensions in Yemen could “further deteriorate the security situation and exacerbate the suffering” of the Yemeni people.
Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, maintains close ties with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are its main trade and investment partners in the Middle East.
