Macedonia renames to douse Greek flames of fury

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (R) and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev raise their hands during a signing ceremony between officials from Greece and Macedonia at Prespes Lake.-AFP

Prespes - The agreement still requires the approval of both parliaments and a referendum in Macedonia.

By Reuters

Published: Sun 17 Jun 2018, 10:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 18 Jun 2018, 12:39 AM

Greece and Macedonia set aside three decades of dispute on Sunday as they agreed on a new name for the former Yugoslav republic, paving the way for its possible admission to the European Union and Nato.
The foreign ministers of the two countries signed an accord to rename the former Yugoslav republic the "Republic of North Macedonia", despite a storm of protest over a deal seen as a national sellout by some on both sides.
In the idyllic setting of Prespes, a lake region that borders Greece, Macedonia and Albania, leaders from the two countries embraced and shook hands in the presence of European and United Nations officials.
The agreement still requires the approval of both parliaments and a referendum in Macedonia. That approval is far from assured, as it faces stiff opposition from the Greek public, and Macedonia's president has vowed to block the deal.
"Very few believed we would be able to leave behind 26 years of unfruitful dispute," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said. "We have a historic responsibility that this deal is not held in abeyance," Tsipras said as he and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev received a standing ovation.
Tsipras survived a no-confidence vote mounted by the opposition in parliament on Saturday.