Mike Pence

The American side appears keen on making the 83rd Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), which starts this weekend, a symbol for a deepening of relations between Greece and the United States.

U.S Vice President Mike Pence has once again demanded Turkey release jailed American pastor Andrew Brunson. 

This was the Serbian president's reaction to German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying a day earlier she was "against changing borders in the Balkans."

"She has already delineated us - only by separating Kosovo from Serbia," Vucic said, referring to his country's southern province, and the concept of "delineation" with the Albanians that he has been championing recently.

President Donald Trump says the United States will impose sanctions on NATO ally Turkey over a detained American pastor held on terror and espionage charges.

The final declaration of the NATO summit in Brussels this week is expected to state that the accession of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to the North Atlantic Alliance hinges on its ratification of the name deal signed with Athens last month, according to a draft seen by Kathimerini. The conditionality will, reportedly, be noted in articles 59 and 60 of the declaration.

Greece and the United States reaffirmed the enduring ties between the two countries in a call between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday night, according to a White House readout of the Vice President's call to the Greek leader.

US Vice President Mike Pence will speak on the phone with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at 10 p.m. (Greek time) on Thursday, and half an hour later with the Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Zoran Zaev, Pence's office announced.

Kosovo-based website KoSSev writes this, citing a report published by Politico.

The lobbyist in question is Brian Ballard, the article said.

Ballard "briefly talked with Trump about relations with Kosovo" and "mentioned a request Kosovo's ambassador had made" for Trump to meet with Hashim Thaci, the report said, citing a US Justice Department filing.

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) - The leaders of North and South Korea held a surprise meeting Saturday, their second in a month, two days after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In what is seen as an expression of Berlin's eagerness to see a solution to the decades-old name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the latter's name, German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the matter in a phone conversation with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday.