Greek daily Kathimerini reports that former US Ambassador to Macedonia Philip Reeker will be appointed as the next Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, after the departure of Wess Mitchell in March.

Reeker served in the US Embassy in Macedonia during the Kosovo War, was made State Department spokesman, was Ambassador in Macedonia between 2008 and 2011, headed the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and was consul in Milan.

Mitchell was involved in pushing Macedonian politicians to accept and implement the imposed new name of the country, even after the failed referendum. He recently announced his resignation “to spend more time with his family”. It is not expected that US policy would change much if Reeker is appointed.