Macedonia

Developing ties and alliances in Congress is "vital" to strengthening the US-Greek relationship, Greece's minister for the diaspora, Antonis Diamataris, told the inaugural Southeast Europe & East Med conference in Washington on Monday.

With NATO accession close at hand, North Macedonia is hard at work making changes to the way its military and intelligence service work.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday essentially offered his support to North Macedonia Premier Zoran Zaev and his country's effort to unstick its stalled bid for European Union accession talks but emphasized that Skopje would have to honor the terms of the Prespes name deal. 

Greece has unveiled a new logo and brand identity to be used for all products made in its Macedonia region. The trademark combines a blue-and-white logo with the motto "Macedonia the Great" - a reference to ancient warrior king Alexander the Great.

The official brand that will be placed on products from the Greek province of Macedonia - the largest part of the geographic region of Macedonia - was presented today at an event in Thessaloniki attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In talks with North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday underlined the importance of the so-called Prespes accord being honored if the Balkan country is to achieve its aim of starting accession talks with the European Union. 

Zoran Zaev told a Russia-North Macedonia economic forum in Skopje on Thursday that the event and the reactivation of an inter-governmental commission on trade with Russia do not mean that his country is seeking an alternative to Euro-Atlantic integration.

Germany's foreign minister has offered backing for North Macedonia's efforts to start membership talks with the European Union, after a minority of EU members blocked the process.
Heiko Maas said Wednesday that the EU "has to open the doors" to the Balkan country and said the people of North Macedonia should not be disappointed with the setback.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to express his full support for North Macedonia's EU accession prospects as well as for other countries in the western Balkans, provided they fulfil their obligations, in a meeting on Thursday with the country's counterpart Zoran Zaev in Thessaloniki.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is to meet with North Macedonia's Zoran Zaev and Bulgaria's Boyko Borisov on Thursday on the sidelines of the Thessaloniki Summit 2019, a business event organized by the Federation of Industries of Greece.

Mitsotakis' first meeting with Zaev was on September 24 in New York, on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting.