Two of the most prominent Greek officials paid a visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) last week, in two separate events that combined, show a pattern.
On Tuesday the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Yiannis Boutaris flew to Skopje, accepting the invitation of President Gjorge Ivanov. The two men have knitted a close relationship in recent years.
On the following day, the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias followed suit in what is seen as a bid to thaw relations between the two countries.
Invited by his counterpart, Nikola Poposki, Kotzias was among the keynote speakers at an annual gathering of FYROM ambassadors. His appearance affirmed hopes that the time has come for a mutually agreed resolution to the decades-old name dispute.
The two countries have been working closely addressing the refugee crisis, which has created a common ground for further building a stronger relationship.
Two weeks ago, the Greek government sent assistance to FYROM, in order for the flood-stricken country to deal with the damages. The Secretariat General for Citizen protection, with the assistance of the Hellenic Fire Service, arranged for the sending of five portable pumps and five generators to assist those hit by the floods.
Apart from that, the Ministry of Citizen Protection along with the FYROM Ministry of Interior came to an agreement for granting additional assistance to FYROM authorities to meet the needs of those hit by the floods.