US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised the Prespa treaty that imposes the adjective “north” on the Republic of Macedonia during his visit to Ohrid today, where he held a joint press conference with Zoran Zaev. Pompeo also called for a committed fight against corruption, and against Chinese and Russian influence in Macedonia, before mentioning national sovereignty and economic freedom.

I want to commend you on the historic Prespa agreement, which will serve as foundation for closer economic ties and stability in Europe. We also welcome the treaty of friendship between “North Macedonia” and Bulgaria which contributes to good relations between allies in NATO, Pompeo said, after becoming the fisrt US Secretary of State to visit Macedonia following the 2001 civil war and the imposed Ohrid treaty.

Pompeo said that he expects Macedonia to join NATO soon and welcomed its commitment to increase defense spending to 2 percent of GDP in short order. He did not address the growing corruption scandals that have engulfed Zaev’s Government directly. He praised the country for “its welcome steps to fight corruption and for accountability for anyone who has abused public trust”.

The Secretary warned against Russian or Chinese influence in Macedonia, saying that “hearts and minds should guide you forward, not Russian bots and trolls” and that “I warn against the risk of Chinese investment in sensitive technologies and bribe heavy Chinese infrastructure deals”. He will be visiting Greece as the last leg of his Balkan tour. Pompeo’s visit comes at a time when his department is heavily involved in the latest Ukraine/Russia scandal, which has translated into open calls for accountability from diplomats who have meddled in American politics. He did not mention the appointment of pro-Trump Ambassador Richard Grenell as the new envoy for Kosovo and Serbia, that followed the appointment of older guard diplomat Matthew Palmer as a Balkan envoy. Grenell’s appointment sparked widespread outrage among left leaning regional commentators, including many close to the Zaev regime.

The Secretary has not announced meetings with opposition representatives during his visit to Ohrid and no press questions were allowed by the visit organizers, while at least one outlet critical of Zaev was denied credentials.