by Kerin Hope
Financial Times
July 11, 2018
Greece has decided to expel two Russian diplomats and block two others from entering the country in a spat prompted by last month’s deal on a new name for Macedonia, according to two people briefed on the issue.
Zoran Zaev, the Macedonian prime minister, expects to receive a formal invitation to join Nato at the alliance summit opening today in Brussels after agreeing with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras to change the country’s official name to North Macedonia. Moscow is strongly opposed to Nato expanding further in the Balkans, warning that Macedonian membership of the alliance “might have negative consequences for regional security and bilateral relations.”
The Russian diplomats are suspected of bribing Greek officials — including a member of the armed forces — as part of an attempt to undermine negotiations on the name earlier this year. The deal triggered a fierce backlash, including dozens of street protests organised by nationalist Greeks.
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