EC's Juncker to visit Skopje this month as part of 6-nation Balkan tour

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is to visit Skopje, the capital of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the end of the month as part of a tour of six countries of the western Balkans.

The planned trip comes as United Nations-buffered talks between Greece and FYROM on the latter's official name gather pace.

Questioned by reporters about the trip, a spokesperson for Juncker said it was part of a "series of visits" in the Western Balkans, a region he described as "of extreme significance for stability in Europe."

Juncker's planned tour has been timed to coincide with the publication of the European Union's strategy for the Western Balkans ahead of a summit of EU leaders on the issue scheduled to take place in Sofia on May 17.