Historic deal signed on name dispute among neighbors
SKOPJE — Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias signed on Sunday the final agreement on the name dispute settlement and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries.
Under the agreement reached, the country will be called Republic of North Macedonia used both internally and internationally.
Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in his address after the signing ceremony called the agreement a celebratory act of commitment to finding a solution in the interest of the future and the citizens of the two countries.
“We are proud of this agreement of ours. We are proud of having been able to unite over a solution to a dispute that has been dividing us and we have chosen a solution that unites us,” Zaev said.
According to him, the agreement creates a chance, and it is a historic opportunity for enhanced cooperation and stronger economic ties that will increase growth and development.
In his speech, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras emphasized that the agreement respects the fundamental values of the two peoples.
“We are here looking at the history of our people, we are both here to do our patriotic duty. We are not in the mood to mourn the defeats of the past, but to make a historic step to have only winners from now on, to pave the way for peace, to walk together in a new era of prosperity and security. Our common goal was to overcome obstacles and difficulties,” Tsipras said.
Win-win solution
Attending the ceremony, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called it a historic day not only for the two counties, but for EU and the Balkans as well.
“Many people were skeptical about the possibility of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement . ... We are here today, first of all to thank the two sides, because they make us all Europeans proud of the capacity to find — through dialogue — a win-win solution for a problem that was long-standing for too many decades,” Mogherini said.
Macedonia’s opposition VMRO-DPMNE party leader Hristijan Mickoski is leading a protest in Bitola city after the signing of the agreement.
The law on ratification of the agreement was expected to pass on Monday to the government and later to be submitted to the Macedonian Assembly for an approval that requires a simple majority.
According to the procedures, the law will be sent to Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov who has to sign within seven days. In the case when Ivanov uses the right of veto, the name deal will go back in parliamentary procedure, and then it will require at least 61 votes for the lawmakers and the same again will return to the President, who according to the constitution, is obliged to sign it.
Ivanov already announced his position on Wednesday when he called the agreement reached with Greece as “harmful” for Macedonia and declared that he would not sign it.
Zaev declared that Macedonian citizens will say their words on the agreement in a referendum, which is expected to be held in September or October this year.