Greek foreign minister quits after cabinet spat over Macedonia

ATHENS

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has resigned on Oct. 17, the government said, in a cabinet dispute over the country's controversial name deal with North Macedonia.

"Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has accepted the foreign minister's resignation," the PM's office said in a statement, adding that Tsipras himself would take over the post.

Kotzias on Oct. 16 had clashed in a cabinet meeting with Defence Minister Panos Kammenos who heads the governing coalition’s junior party Independent Greeks.

Nationalistic leader Kammenos has long objected to the deal and threatened to leave the coalition if the agreement comes to parliament for ratification.

A province of Greece also called Macedonia is known as the heart of Alexander the Great's ancient kingdom.

Many Greeks fear the deal on the table will officially enable Skopje to lay claim to their cultural heritage.

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