Thirty-three European parliament lawmakers from 16 countries wrote a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee suggesting the Greek and North Macedonian leaders for this year's Peace Prize
ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2019) Thirty-three European parliament lawmakers from 16 countries wrote a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee suggesting the Greek and North Macedonian leaders for this year's Peace Prize.The cross-party letter backed the initiative of the 2015 Nobel Peace prize winner, Uided Bushamaui, who praised Greece's Alexis Tsipras and North Macedonia's Zoran Zaev for ending a decades-old row over Macedonia's name.
"This is the first time that such a trailblazing deal has been reached in the Balkans ... Both prime ministers made a step forward despite huge pressure at home ... Their nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize will send a message that courage and progressive thinking that defies national borders should be rewarded," the letter published by Greece's Syriza party in Greek read.
The June 2018 deal to rename the former Yugoslav republic to North Macedonia aimed to allay Greek concerns that the Balkan nation could lay claims to a Greek region of the same name. Its signing unlocked Skopje's path to NATO and EU membership, although many critics say bringing North Macedonia into the military alliance was the main goal all along.
