Macedonia reaches name change deal with Greece

Greece has reached a deal on the name of its northern neighbour, which called itself Macedonia at the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. After 27 years of talks - and many protests - they have settled on the name Republic of North Macedonia or Severna Makedonija in Macedonian. The neighboring nations Greece and Macedonia have been debating Macedonia’s chosen name since 1991 when the small country that was once part of the former Yugoslavia adopted the name. Greece objects because it has its own region called Macedonia. It also takes offense because it argues that its northern neighbour’s name indicates its greater territorial ambitions. Macedonia, for its part, will agree to the name change if Greece will stop blocking its efforts to join NATO and the European Union. The new name will now need to be approved by the Macedonian people and Greek Parliament.