German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arrived in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, for talks with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
The two leaders were expected to discuss regional developments in the Balkans and bilateral issues during their September 8 meeting.
Merkel’s visit comes in the wake of trips to Skopje by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on September 6 and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz the following day.
On September 30, Macedonians will vote in a referendum posing the question: “Are you in favor of NATO and European Union membership and of accepting the name agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece?”
Under the agreement, Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia, in response to Greek concerns that the name “Macedonia” implied territorial claims to the northern Greek region of the same name.
The name dispute has blocked Macedonia’s progress toward European integration for years.
Although nationalists in both countries oppose the compromise, recent polling in Macedonia shows 57 percent favor changing the country’s name if it will lead to membership in the EU and NATO.
Twenty-two percent said they would vote against the referendum proposal.
During their visits, Stoltenberg and Kurz urged Macedonians to turn out and vote affirmatively on September 30.