North Macedonia

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.

Greek Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis urged Greece and North Macedonia Friday to speed up the implementation of all provisions included in the name deal signed between the two Balkan neighbors as a way of resolving any reasonable objections to the so-called Prespes accord.

Greek Parliament speaker Nikos Voutsis on Friday urged Greece and North Macedonia to accelerate the implementation of all provisions included in the name deal signed between the two Balkan neighbors as a way of resolving any reasonable objections to the so-called Prespes accord.

The leaders of both Albania and North Macedonia say they believe that the European Union will decide in June to open membership talks with them.
North Macedonias Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who on Wednesday was in Tirana to meet with his counterpart Edi Rama, said they expect "the EU to take a positive stand on our two countries ... so that we fulfil this strategic goal."

President of the Romanian Senate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu welcomed on Wednesday visiting Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia Talat Xhaferi to emphasise that North Macedonia's joining NATO is a guarantee for its future.

The Romanian Senate, as the decision-making chamber on Wednesday unanimously ratified a bill ratifying a protocol on North Macedonia's accession to NATO, signed in Brussels on February 6, 2019. Attending the vote plenary session was Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia Talat Xhaferi.

North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev confirmed Thursday that his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras is planning to visit Skopje, however adding that no specific date has been set yet.
Speaking at the recent Delphi Economic Forum, Tsipras said that he will "soon" visit Skopje accompanied by a business mission.

At that moment, the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Trade Cooperation between Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia begins in Skopje. Among the topics discussed are transport and energy connectivity and economic relations.

Newly renamed North Macedonia's government says 136 state-funded institutions will adjust their names in the next four months under a historic deal the country struck with neighboring Greece last year.