Macedonia and Greece Announce Historic 'Name' Deal

Neighbouring Macedonia and Greece announced on Tuesday they have reached a historic compromise solution to their decades-long name dispute, agreeing that Macedonia will use the composite name 'Republic of North Macedonia'.

"The chance is here and it must be seized, bravely, as this is the only patriotic way," Macedonian Prime Minisrter Zoran Zaev told a press conference in Skopje.

"We got a fair deal… With this solution we are strengthening Macedonian ethnic and cultural identity, once and for all," he added.

In Athens, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called the deal "historic".

Zaev said that the definition of the country's language will remain 'Macedonian', as Skopje insisted in the talks.

People's nationality will be defined as 'Macedonian/Citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia'.

Under the agreement, the agreed name, the Republic of North Macedonia, will be used internationally and domestically, an issue that was a priority for Greece.

News of the eagerly-awaited breakthrough comes after the two sides stepped up the UN-sponsored 'name' talks at the start of this year, after Zaev's party came to power in 2017.

By solving the dispute which has lingered for more than 25 years, Macedonia will remove the biggest obstacle on its path towards EU and NATO accession. 

Skopje hopes that with a solution in hand, NATO will extend an invitation to join and the EU will allow the start of Macedonian accession talks as early as this summer.

The two prime ministers are expected to sign the agreement over the next weekend.

Zaev said that the deal will be put to a referendum in Macedonia in the autumn.

But before that, he said the agreement will be put to parliament for...