Greece, Macedonia Sign Agreement On Name Change

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov sign an accord to settle a long dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name as Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev look on in the village of Psarades, in Prespes, Greece, June 17, 2018. Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis

Greece and Macedonia have taken a major step towards resolving a 27-year-old dispute over the latter's name by signing an agreement that would see Macedonia change its name to the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

The both countries signed the historic agreement on Sunday.

"This is a brave, historic and necessary step for our peoples," said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, when signing the accord in the lakeside fishing village of Psarades on the border between the nations.

"We are here to heal the wounds of time, to open a path for peace, brotherhood and growth for our countries, the Balkans and Europe," he said.

When Macedonia peacefully gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Greece balked at the name, saying it implied territorial ambitions toward Greece.

Greece also has a region called Macedonia. It's in the northern, mountainous part of the country and includes Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, and ancient Philippi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The United Nations has been calling it the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. (You'll see the acronym FYROM on Google Maps.) In addition to causing confusion, the similar names have been a stumbling block for the nation of Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO because of Greece's objections.

NATO said the agreement will "set Skopje on its path to NATO membership" and praised the two leaders for their willingness to "solve a dispute which has affected the region for too long."

Once ratified by the respective parliaments in each country and confirmed by a referendum in Macedonia by the end of the year, the agreement will also enable the landlocked state to eventually join the EU and NATO.

Under the terms of the deal, the Macedonian constitution must also be revised by the end of the year, before Greece's parliament is called to ratify it.





Disclaimer: Stories culled and pictures posted on this blog will be given due credit and is not the fault of drifternews.blogspot.com if website culled from misrepresents source of story.