History will be kind to Greek PM over FYROM name deal: US Ambassador

U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said the history will be kind to both Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, over the Prespes agreement they reached regarding the name deal.

Pyatt made the comments during his speech at the Thessaloniki Summit 2018 and added that the U.S., in cooperation with its European partners, intends to work very hard on the implementation of the agreement, which Pyatt deems is “a way to restore Thessaloniki to its historical role as the cosmopolitan capital of the Western Balkans”.

According to the U.S., Pyatt said the Prespes Agreement has already enhanced stability in the region and expressed his country’s wish that FYROM will soon become a member of the NATO alliance. He also stressed that the agreement is not only politically but also economically significant, and estimated that many opportunities will open in northern Greece, in the fields of energy and commerce.

Regarding the coalition between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, Pyatt said that the U.S. is always in favour of Greece adopting a stabilising role in the region and added that the U.S. would like to be part of the negotiations regarding developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Geopolitical antagonism is returning in the region after many decades. Greece is our natural ally,” Pyatt said.