SKOPJE, North Macedonia — With its bitter naming dispute with Greece finally settled and NATO membership expected by the end of the year, North Macedonia on Tuesday received another sign that its nearly three decades of international isolation are ending: the country’s first papal visit.

At a gathering with senior government figures, Pope Francis praised North Macedonia as “a bridge between the East and West,” said that its history of diversity would serve it well in a closer relationship with European nations. He also expressed hope that “integration will develop in a way that is beneficial for the entire Western Balkans.”

The country declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 as the Republic of Macedonia, but its diplomatic aspirations were long blocked by neighboring Greece, which considered that name a potential claim to its own northern province. Both sides agreed to the name North Macedonia this year as part of a deal to normalize relations and potentially to ease the country’s path into the European Union.