SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was sworn as the first female president of North Macedonia on Sunday and immediately reignited a diplomatic spat with neighboring Greece. At the ceremony in the country’s parliament, Siljanovska-Davkova referred to her country as “Macedonia,” rather than the constitutional name “North Macedonia.”This prompted Greek Ambassador Sophia Philippidou to leave the inauguration ceremony. A few hours later, von der Leyen posted her congratulations to the new president: “Congratulations, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, on becoming the first female President of North Macedonia. The decades-old dispute was resolved in 2018, when both sides signed an agreement and the constitutional name “North Macedonia” was adopted. Greece then lifted its objection to North Macedonia joining NATO and applying for EU membership.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 12, 2024 14:33 UTC