FYROM

The accession protocol for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to join NATO under the new name North Macedonia was approved by a parliamentary committee on Thursday.

The protocol is to go the House plenary on Friday for debate followed by a vote which is expected to approve it, bringing FYROM one step closer to joining the alliance. 

Greek lawmakers will vote on the protocol that paves the way for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) accession to NATO under the name "Republic of North Macedonia," as agreed with Greece.

The final step to approve the name change of FYROM to "North Macedonia" is expected to be taken this week with the country's NATO accession protocol to come to Greece's Parliament on Tuesday and to be voted on a few days after that.

The ratification of the Prespes deal would be a "historic step," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in Parliament Thursday, adding that the long-standing dispute had deprived Greece of precious diplomatic capital.

Inertia, cowardice and procrastination resulted in more than 130 states including US, Russia and China recognizing FYROM as simply "Macedonia," Tsipras said.

Panos Kammenos, the former Greek defense minister who quit the government coalition over his objection to Greece's name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), on Thursday urged lawmakers to vote down the so-called Prespes deal which he described as a "crime."

"The Prespes Deal is unconstitutional, former Defense Minister and Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos claimed in an interview to SKAI TV.

Kammenos, who bolted the government alliance earlier this month over his objections to the deal, added that the agreement coming to Parliament for ratification next week has nothing to do with what was signed, because it has four amendments.

Parliamentary speaker Nikos Voutsis on Friday said that Greek lawmakers will be voting on ratifying the name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia by the end of next week.

More than half of the residents of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) agree that the Balkan nation should join NATO and the European Union under the name "Republic of North Macedonia" as part of the deal signed with Greece in June, a recent poll has shown.

Greece is "fully determined" to ratify its agreement with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to change the latter's name, Costas Douzinas, a member of ruling SYRIZA and head of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations, has told Bloomberg.

The European Union and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have agreed to allow EU border guards to be deployed in FYROM if the country, which borders Greece, faces "sudden migratory challenges."