Macedonia’s name change to North Macedonia approved by parliament

Macedonia’s parliament has approved a proposal to change the country’s name to North Macedonia. On Friday, 80 deputies in the 120-seat parliament voted in favour of renaming the country, which just reached the two-thirds majority needed to enact constitutional changes.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday that the approval by Macedonia’s parliament of a proposal to change the country’s name on Friday opens the way for the implementation of an “historic” deal between the two countries.

“Today is a symbolic and historic day after the decision at the Skopje’s parliament which opens the way for the implementation of the accord,” Tsipras said at a ceremony taking over the foreign affairs portfolio.

Tsipras assumed the foreign ministry after Nikos Kotzias, Greece’s main negotiator in talks that led to an accord that settles a decades-old row over Macedonia’s name, resigned unexpectedly from government this week.