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Merkel made Saturday the first official visit of a German Chancellor to Macedonia, describing his referendum on September 30 as a possible stabilization move of "great interest" for Germany and the EU.
At the center of the referendum, a well-known deal was signed between Athens and Skopje in June, aimed at appeasing Greece's only claim to the name of Macedonia and ending Greece's long-standing veto against Greece. inclusion of Skopje within NATO and the EU.
"Are you for membership in the EU and NATO by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?" is the referendum question voted by the Macedonian parliament in July – despite a boycott by opposition nationalists.
Currently, Skopje is recognized as "Republic of Macedonia" by more than 120 countries, including the United States and Russia.
Opponents of the Athens-Skopje Agreement are nationalists in Macedonia and Greece for various reasons.
Interviews with the opposition
Merkel, who was received in Skopje with military honors by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, was also scheduled to meet with opposition leader Hristijan Mickovski of the conservative VMRO party, who has lost his office. last year to the Social Democrats of Zaev.
Military honors for Merkel in Skopje
VMRO, like the Christian Democrat Party of Merkel (CDU), is part of the European People's Party and the EU parliamentary level.
High level visitors
Merkel's talks in Skopje follow visits by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday, both of whom called on Macedonians to adopt the new name.
Stoltenberg said the Macedonians had a "unique opportunity" to join NATO as a 30th member, and the EU, "but for this you have to agree to the name agreement".
The nationalist president of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov – after meeting Stoltenberg – said that the offer of "the EU and NATO could not be an excuse for a bad deal".
Kurz, who is visiting Skopje on Friday, urged the Macedonians to vote for the name change, saying the EU would not be complete until the Western Balkan countries, including Serbia and Macedonia, were there. adhere.
At the height of the 2015-2016 migrant crisis in Europe, Kurz – then Austrian Foreign Minister – hailed Macedonia's efforts to block the arrival of refugees and migrants.
US visitors too
Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the US Homeland Security Committee, is expected to visit Macedonia next week.
On Thursday, the US Embassy in Skopje issued a letter in which US President Donald Trump said the agreement "paved the way" for membership of NATO and the EU.
On Friday, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross visited Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, signaling Washington's growing interest in the region given its tense relations with Turkey. NATO member.
General Joseph Dunford, who chairs the US Chiefs of Staff, traveled to Athens.
Membership in the EU?
The European Union, for its part, suggested that any accession negotiations – unlikely until June 2019 – would depend on the referendum on the name change and the results of the reforms, particularly in the fight against corruption.
France and the Netherlands are still skeptical.
Last month, the Council of Europe anti-corruption group found that Macedonia only implemented six of its 19 recommendations.
ipj / rc (AP, dpa, AFP, Reuters)
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