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Minister of State Roth to visit Athens
Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth will travel to Athens from 6 to 8 February for talks with his counterpart George Katrougkalos and with Panagiotis Pavlopoulos, foreign policy advisor to the Prime Minister. At his meeting with former Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Roth will make a point of expressing his gratitude for his courageous commitment to resolving the name dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, for which Kotzias deserves great personal credit. At meetings with representatives of the opposition, civil society and the cultural scene, Minister of State Roth will also discuss how the social exchange with the future North Macedonia can be intensified and the approval of this historic agreement and the prospects for reconciliation that it offers can be improved among the population.
Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth said the following prior to his departure for Athens:
The Governments in Athens and Skopje have demonstrated political courage in resolving the name dispute of North Macedonia and have made an invaluable contribution to stabilising the Balkans and Europe as a whole. I will express my thanks to our Greek friends during my visit.
The disputes of recent months have been controversial and highly emotional. A historic agreement has now been reached. I am certain that this agreement will bring benefits to the population throughout the region. Good neighbourliness, peace, reconciliation and stability will be to everyone’s advantage. The path to North Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration is now finally clear.