North Macedonia

Amid reactions in Greece over frequent references made in North Macedonia to a Macedonian language, the neighboring country's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Wednesday that the name of the language was accepted in the Prespes agreement, which was ratified this year by the two parliaments.

Greece's leftist administration is expected to table a measure on primary residence protection to succeed the so-called Katseli law on Friday on the basis of an agreement between the government and banks, government sources told state-run Athens-Macedonian news agency (ANA-MPA) on Wednesday.

The European Union's top diplomat says the bloc aims to begin membership talks with North Macedonia in June, after the country lifted the biggest obstacle to joining by changing its name last month.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Tuesday that "our joint objective is to have a green light in June to start negotiations."

Main opposition New Democracy is up in arms over repeated violations of the terms of the Prespa Agreement by Skopje.

As Moscow recognized the Republic of North Macedonia by its new official name Monday, Panos Kammenos and Nikos Kotzias picked up their bickering over the so-called Prespes accord again.

The head of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, Giorgos Pitsilis, has issued clear guidelines to all Greek customs offices over how they should deal with transactions between Greece and North Macedonia from now on.

The Russian Federation has recognised the Republic of North Macedonia by its new constitutional name.
Russia was the first major power to recognise the country by its constitutional name of Republic of Macedonia in August, 1992 after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Russia recognizes the Republic of North Macedonia as the country's new official name, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, despite having previously expressed reservations about the legitimacy of the name change.
 

An inter-ministerial committee involving officials from Greece and North Macedonia is to meet for the first time on Monday under Alternate Foreign Minister Sia Anagnostopoulou.

Greece committed a "grave mistake" in recognizing the existence of a Macedonian language, prominent linguist and former education minister Georgios Babiniotis said, adding that the clause in the Prespes accord signed between Athens and Skopje could encourage minority claims in the future.