Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in Skopje on Tuesday that Greek military planes will begin to patrol the airspace above Northern Macedonia.
At a joint press conference with Zoran Zaev, the Prime Minister of North Macdonia, Tsipras said that the new plan was envisaged in a document signed by the defense ministers of the two neighboring countries.
Asked whether Greece’s control of the North Macedonian skies, as a NATO member, would be free of charge, Tsipras said there would be no compensation for the service. He stressed that the best compensation for Greece would be the stability of the neighboring country and the entire region.
He further stated that both defense ministers have already signed an agreement on cooperation in training, the defense industry, and cyber defense. They have also agreed to cooperate regarding military intelligence and on the new “aviation policy,” which in essence means that Greek planes will patrol the skies over North Macedonia.
Prime Ministers Zaev and Tsipras previously signed the Action Plan on Enhanced Comprehensive Cooperation in accordance with the Prespa Agreement, while the ministers of the two countries signed a number of agreements and memorandas of cooperation in various fields.