Republic of Macedonia

The ratification of the Prespes agreement signals a new chapter for both Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and also raises a series of questions regarding the future of the two countries. Here, we address some of these questions and attempt to provide some answers.

1. How does the agreement relate to FYROM's NATO bid?

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Zoran Zaev, who is visiting Sofia on February 4th, reported the Bulgarian National Radio. 

They will discuss the development of cooperation in various sectors, infrastructure and transport projects and the implementation of the Friendship, Neighborhood and Cooperation Treaty.

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.

In his first TV appearance since he escaped from Macedonia to Hungary in November last year, former Macedonian prime minister and former VMRO DPMNE party leader Nikola Gruevski said he fled from Macedonia after "reliable sources" warned him that the new government was plotting to assassinate him.

With the domestic political landscape in an increasingly fluid state, Independent Greeks (ANEL) MP Thanasis Papachristopoulos did not give up his parliamentary seat on Friday, as he had announced he would do, after Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis asked him to wait until MPs have voted on the NATO accession protocol for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia next week.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has tweeted that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, soon to be renamed North Macedonia, will sign its accession protocol to NATO on Wednesday, Feb. 6..

 

Independent Greeks (ANEL) MP Thanasis Papachristopoulos did not give up his parliamentary seat on Friday, as he had announced a day earlier, after Parliament President Nikos Voutsis asked him to wait until lawmakers have voted on the NATO accession protocol for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) next week.

Greek Parliament will ratify the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's NATO accession protocol under its new name "in the coming days," government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said on Thursday, during a regular press briefing.

The Parliament of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has rejected a diaspora group's request for a second referendum on a deal to rename the country North Macedonia in exchange for NATO and potentially European Union membership.

The Greek government is concerned by the insistence of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on calling his country "Macedonia" following Greece's approval last week of the Prespes deal changing the country's name to North Macedonia, but is expecting a shift in stance when the change is formalized, Kathimerini understands.