Greece and Macedonia sign historic deal to change country's name

The signing ceremony of the agreement to change the country's name was held at Lake Prespes on the border of Greece and Macedonia, witnessed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries as well as officials from the United Nations and the European Union.Reutersreport

Under the agreement, Macedonia, long known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, will change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. However, to take effect, the agreement must be ratified by both Macedonian parliaments and put to a referendum. In addition, the agreement must be approved by the Greek parliament.

"We have a historic responsibility to ensure that the agreement is not suspended and I am confident that we can do it," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said alongside his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev.

Under the agreement, in addition to agreeing to change the name of Macedonia, Greece will also stop opposing its northern neighbor joining the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The agreement has been met with opposition in both Macedonia and Greece, with many seeing it as too much of a concession to the other side. Protests have erupted in both countries to prevent the agreement from being implemented.

The dispute between Greece and Macedonia erupted in 1991 after Macedonia declared independence. Greece objected to its neighbor's use of the name "Macedonia" because it was the same name as a province in the north of the country and could cause confusion about its sovereignty.