ATHENS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Greece and North Macedonia gave a bright example of what Europe means, visiting German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday in an interview with Greek newspaper Ta Nea (The News).
The remark was made in reference to the historic agreement which solved a long standing dispute over the use of the term Macedonia.
Von der Leyen is on a one-day visit to Athens to discuss with the Greek government the future of the European security and defense framework.
"We work together to strengthen European defense... Compromises are never easy, but they pave the way for a better future," she said commenting on the agreement clinched last summer for the renaming of Greece's northern neighboring state.
The deal opened the way for the latter's accession to NATO and in the next phase the EU.
The name row had started in 1991 when the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) declared independence from Yugoslavia choosing the name Macedonia.
Greece protested from the first moment, fearing territorial claims by the new state, because a province in northern Greece has the same name.
Under the deal achieved in 2018 following marathon UN mediated negotiations, FYROM made constitutional amendments to erase Athens' concerns.
Following its ratification by both parliaments earlier this year, the country started using its new name.
