Greece, Macedonia resolving long-standing name row

By Furkan Naci Top

ATHENS (AA) - Greece has resolved a long-standing dispute with its northern neighbor, which is set to change its name from Macedonia to the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Tuesday.

Tsipras met with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos after he spoke with his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev over the phone.

"We have recently reached an agreement with the prime minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which has put us in turmoil for many years," Tsipras said.

"We have reached a good agreement that meets all our conditions," he added.

He said that after Macedonia’s Constitution makes the name change official, Greece’s parliament will approve the deal.

Greece, which is both a NATO and EU member, has long opposed the official name of its northern neighbor, noting that there is a region in northern Greece also called Macedonia.

Due to Greece’s veto power, the dispute has been one of the main hurdles to Macedonia’s ambitions to join NATO and the EU.

Negotiations between Macedonia and Greece have stepped up recently, as the new government in Skopje has sought progress in its bid to join NATO and the EU.

Despite the dispute between Athens and Skopje, many countries, including Turkey, recognize Macedonia's present name.