Politics of the Republic of Macedonia

The leader of the junior coalition party in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia believes Athens and Skopje should settle the ongoing name dispute with an agreement of good-neighborly relations rather than putting the issue to a public referendum.

After the statement that was given by DUI's President, Ali Ahmeti, that it is best for the solution of the name dispute that the state leaderships of both Greece and Macedonia will arrive at to be solved as the Agreement with Bulgaria i.e.

The session of the Macedonian Assembly, that will once again debate the act, has been scheduled for January 29.

Tanjug is on Tuesday quoting the website Telegraf to report that in his explanation of the decision, Ivanov wrote that "the European flag was abused" during the adoption of this piece of legislation, and that it was passed by a simple majority.

Despite a boycott by VMRO DPMNE, Macedonia's right-wing main opposition party, 61 of the parliament's 120 MPs voted for the agreement. The landmark accord was signed in August 2017 and aims to end the often fraught bilateral relationship between Skopje and Sofia and bring the two countries closer through an EU-oriented partnership.

The Macedonian Parliament ratified the Friendship and Neighborhood Agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria with 61 votes in favor of the good neighborship and friendship between the two countries.

Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party insists that its MPs' caucus in parliament stands united behind the new party chief, Hristijan Mickoski, elected in December - despite growing evidence to the contrary.

"The caucus is strong and united. All MPs are actively participating in the decision-making process within the organs of the party," VMRO DPMNE told BIRN on Thursday.

Macedonia and Greece have a real chance to solve a festering quarter-century-old name dispute by July, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has said.

This aim becomes apparent, among other things, from some of the wiretapped conversations released by the opposition back in 2015.

Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party, which held power for 11 years until this May, said that only one person, the party secretary general, Hristijan Mickovski, is standing in the leadership election, which will take place at the party congress on Friday and Saturday.

Macedonian government has approved the Friendship and Neighborhood Treaty between Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia, which was signed by Prime Ministers Boyko Borisov and Zoran Zaev on 1 August this year,  BGNES reported.