Image copyright AFP Image caption Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras hailed the victory in parliament as a "historic day"

Greece's parliament has voted narrowly to back a historic agreement ending a 27-year dispute over its northern neighbour's name.

Parliament in Athens agreed by 153 votes to 146 to approve the name Republic of North Macedonia, despite widespread opposition from the public.

"North Macedonia was born today," said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Greece has rejected Macedonia's name since its independence in 1991, as there is a Greek region of that name.

Failure to find an appropriate name meant that Greece frustrated Macedonia's drive to join both Nato and the European Union.

Opposition to the deal is strongest in the northern Greek region of Macedonia, and polls suggest more than 60% of Greeks dislike it.

Thousands of people protested outside parliament on Thursday night, but far smaller numbers braved the torrential rain on Friday as the vote took place.

How leaders reacted

Mr Tsipras, who was involved in negotiating the deal, said it was a "historic day".

"Congratulations my friend," his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev responded on Twitter. "Together with our peoples we reached a historic victory."

There were warm words from EU officials, who praised both countries for setting "an example of reconciliation for Europe" by resolving "one of the most entrenched disputes in the region".

Image copyright Reuters Image caption A small group of protesters demonstrated outside as the vote took place

The debate in the chamber lasted more than 38 hours, and more than 200 MPs spoke.

The centre-right opposition condemned the deal as a "national defeat" and members of the far-right Golden Dawn party shouted "traitors!" as the vote came to an end.

Why is the deal so divisive?

The row has run deep in both countries since Macedonia became a new nation after the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991.

The Macedonia region in Greece includes its second city Thessaloniki. Many Greeks were enraged their northern neighbour had adopted a name that dates back to antiquity - fearing their neighbours had territorial ambitions.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption There have been a number of violent clashes involving plan protestors

The Greek region, which includes the birthplace of Alexander the Great, is considered an intrinsic part of Greek heritage.

At the UN, its neighbour became known simply as Fyrom, an acronym for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and attempts to resolve the matter foundered for decades.

Fury inside and out

Analysis by Mark Lowen, BBC News, Athens

The angry scenes in parliament echoed the fury outside: as one MP spoke of the death threats she'd received in supporting the Macedonia bill, and another shouted "no to treason" while he voted, protesters on the steps of parliament screamed "traitors!"

In the past week, police have fired tear gas here as tens of thousands have demonstrated under the Greek flag, deploring what they saw as their government's capitulation to pressure from Nato and the EU.

While outsiders might scratch their heads at the apparent absurdity of this row, Greeks are fiercely attached to their history.

"We've lost everything in the financial crisis - now we're losing our dignity" is a familiar refrain from those protesting.

The right-wing opposition leader, ahead in the polls, says he'll still veto North Macedonia's EU accession when it comes to it - though by the time the small Balkan country is ready to join, passions may have calmed and Greeks will no doubt have other nationalist fish to fry.

Mr Tsipras lost his coalition government partner last week and had to survive a no-confidence vote in the run-up to the vote.

He had to rely on eight independent and opposition lawmakers to help him get the deal through parliament on Friday.

What is in the deal?

The deal was signed last June by the two countries' prime ministers at Lake Prespa, which has shores in Greece, Macedonia and Albania.

It means that Macedonia will now become the Republic of North Macedonia, or North Macedonia for short.

Image copyright Greek foreign ministry Image caption Greece's acting Foreign Minister George Katrougalos signed the agreement into Greek law shortly after the vote

Macedonia has already ratified the agreement and will inform the United Nations that the accord has been reached.

Aside from the name change, the deal carries assurances that there will be no attempt to appropriate the other country's territory.

Within a month, a commission will be set up to look at the two countries' history books, to ensure there is an objective interpretation of the past.

When does the new name take effect?

The Greek prime minister said on Friday that North Macedonia had been born, however it will still take time for the name to be formally declared.

Macedonian officials told the BBC that it would only be used when Greece ratified the Nato accession deal, expected within a few weeks.

That will take place after Nato ambassadors sign the accession protocol in the coming days.

But North Macedonia is likely to become formalised before that, when the government in Skopje tells the UN that both countries have agreed the deal.</s>Greece’s Parliament voted by 153 to 146 on January 25 to approve the Prespa Agreement with the government in Skopje that envisages changing the name of the neighbouring former Yugoslav republic to “Republic of North Macedonia”.

The vote was postponed from the night before, and again in the course of the day on Friday, because of the large number of Greek MPs who wanted to speak in the debate, which was frequently a heated one.

Thousands of Greek citizens have been protesting in the months since the June 2018 agreement between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his counterpart from Skopje, Zoran Zaev, to end the decades-long dispute over the former Yugoslav republic’s use of the name “Republic of Macedonia”.

The Greeks opposing the Prespa Agreement see it as allowing those in the neighbouring country to appropriate Greek history and culture and to use it in support of claims on Greek territory. Northern Greece has a province named Macedonia.

In the course of the political controversy in Greece about the Prespa Agreement, Tsipras’s government has survived two votes of no confidence.

The Prespa Agreement also has been controversial in the Republic of Macedonia, which also saw protests against it.

On January 11, the Parliament in Skopje voted approval of the constitutional amendments stemming from the Prespa Agreement that would change the country’s name to “Republic of North Macedonia”. The vote was 81 in favour, with no votes opposed recorded.</s>Greek MPs have voted narrowly to back a historic agreement with Macedonia, bringing to an end a 27-year dispute over its northern neighbour's name.

The parliament in Athens agreed by 153 votes to 146 to approve the name Republic of North Macedonia, despite widespread opposition from the public.

Greeks have rejected Macedonia's name since its independence in 1991, as they have a region of the same name.

Opposition to the deal is strongest in the northern Greek region of Macedonia, but polls suggest more than 60% of Greeks dislike it.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who brokered the deal, told MPs before the vote that it would be a "historic step" which would end "30 years of hypocrisy".

He said his country's neighbours would become a friend and ally with the agreement.

A small group of protesters demonstrated outside as the vote took place.

The debate in the chamber lasted more than 38 hours, and more than 200 MPs spoke during it.

Members of the far-right Golden Dawn party shouted "Traitors!" at points during the vote.

What is the name change?

The Prespa agreement to resolve the long-running dispute was signed by the two countries' prime ministers last June.

The agreement means that Macedonia, which is formally called Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (or Fyrom) at the United Nations, will now become the Republic of North Macedonia, or North Macedonia in short.

Macedonia has already ratified the agreement.

The next step will be for Greece to inform its neighbour and then for Macedonia to tell the United Nations.

Friday's vote clears the way for the former Yugoslav republic's accession to Nato, and Nato ambassadors will convene in the coming days to sign the a protocol.

The deal only becomes final once the Nato accession protocol is ratified in Athens.

During Friday's debate, one MP from the ruling left-wing Syriza party, Eleni Stamatakis, said it was a "historic day for our country, but also the Balkans".</s>ATHENS/SKOPJE(AFP) - On Friday (Jan 25), Greek lawmakers ratified a landmark name change deal with neighbouring Macedonia, approving the new name "Republic of North Macedonia" for its northern neighbour two weeks after a similar vote by Macedonian lawmakers.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras hailed the ratification by parliament in Athens as a "historic day".

"Today we write a new page for the Balkans. The hatred of nationalism, dispute and conflict will be replaced by friendship, peace and cooperation," Tsipras said on his Twitter page.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev also congratulated his Greek counterpart for a "historic victory".

"Congratulations my friend" Alexis Tsipras, Zaev said on Twitter. "Together with our peoples we reached a historic victory. Long live the Prespa Agreement! For eternal peace and progress of the Balkans and in Europe!"

The move should help end a row that has long poisoned relations between the neighbours and clear the path for Skopje to join the European Union and Nato.

The deal to rename Greece's northern neighbour the Republic of North Macedonia was brokered by Tsipras and Zaev in June.

It is an achievement that has seen both leaders nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize - even as it came at an immediate cost to Tsipras by sinking his coalition government and saw protests in both countries. The deal will end a bitter row that began in 1991 with the independence of Macedonia, which took the name of the history-rich northern Greek region that lies just across the border.

In addition to normalising relations between the two countries, implementation of the agreement will open the door for Macedonia to join the European Union and Nato, hitherto blocked by Athens' veto.

Critics say the agreement - which drops Greece's objections to an official Macedonian language and identity - opens the way for possible cultural usurpation and trade disputes. They note that just a few years back, Skopje enthusiastically sought to appropriate Alexander the Great, ancient king of Macedon and one of Greece's greatest heroes.

Here is some background on the dispute:

Greece rejects the name Macedonia, adopted by the country at its independence from the former Yugoslavia 27 years ago, as it is also that of a large Greek region that evokes national pride as the cradle of Alexander the Great's ancient empire.

Macedonia's international recognition is immediately stalled by Greece because of its name.

Besides claiming the title as part of its heritage and identity, Greece fears Skopje could harbour territorial ambitions over its own region of Macedonia just across the border.

It is only with the adoption of a provisional name - the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) - that the country is finally admitted into the United Nations in 1993.

Most other nations, including Russia and the United States, later recognise its constitutional title, the Republic of Macedonia.

In 1994, Greece imposes an economic embargo on Macedonia and prevents it from using the Greek port at Thessaloniki, Skopje's main trading post.

Greece also demands that Macedonia drop from its flag the golden sun of Vergina, claiming it as an ancient Greek symbol, as well as certain articles from its constitution.

In 1995, the neighbours sign an accord in New York opening the way for a normalisation of trade and political ties but leaving the name dispute hanging.

They then open liaison offices in their respective capitals and a new Macedonian flag - with a different sun symbol - is raised for the first time at the United Nations.

In 2001, Greece expresses support for Skopje as it faces an armed conflict with ethnic Albanian rebels.

After Macedonia becomes a candidate for EU membership in 2005, Greece blocks the start of negotiations, still rejecting its title.

In 2008 Macedonia is invited for Nato membership under its provisional name, but again faces a Greek veto.

Relations plummet with the erection of a huge statue of Alexander the Great in Skopje in 2011. Athens views it as an attempt to appropriate one of its greatest heroes.

Athens in 2016 accuses Skopje of excessive use of force against hundreds of migrants, many fleeing the war in Syria.

Soon after his election in May 2017, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev promises a new push to settle the name dispute as he relaunches the drive for EU and Nato membership.

Negotiations restart in January 2018 under UN auspices, despite strong opposition from nationalists in both countries.

In June, the two sides settle on "Republic of North Macedonia".

A September referendum among Macedonians shows 90 per cent agree with the name change - but two-thirds of registered voters shun the ballot.

In October, Macedonia's Parliament, which must approve constitutional changes, votes by a razor-thin majority to begin the process of renaming the country.

The Parliament in December votes for a second reading of the four amendments required to the Constitution, with the final vote passed two weeks ago. The motion receives the required two-thirds majority by just one vote.

On Jan 25, Greek lawmakers voted by a narrow majority to ratify the name change.</s>NATO and EU leaders have applauded Greece’s parliament for approving the historic agreement with neighbouring Macedonia, following days of heated debate and clashes in the streets.

Greece’s parliament on Friday backed ratification of the highly controversial agreement that is designed to end the decades-long dispute over Macedonia’s name.



In the vote that ended at 14.30 pm local time, 153 MPs from the ruling parties and from some opposition parties in the 300-seat parliament endorsed the agreement, which Macedonia has already adopted.

A total of 146 MPs voted against it.

Greek ratification marks the final act of the “Prespa” agreement’s implementation, after Macedonia on January 11 altered its constitution, allowing the country’s name to be changed from Republic of Macedonia to Republic of North Macedonia.



In exchange for changing its name, to which Greece objected, Greece has agreed to lift its blockade on Macedonia’s NATO and EU accession bids.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev expressed his delight. “Congratulations my friend [Alexis] Tsipras. Together with our peoples we reached a historical victory. Long live the Prespa Agreement! For eternal peace and progress of the Balkans and in Europe!” Zaev wrote on Twitter.

Macedonia’s Foreign Minister, Nikola Dimitrov, said hope had triumphed over fear.

“Courage and hope have defeated fear. The future is there. As Nikos [Kotzias, former Greek foreign minister] often says, history should be a teacher, not a prison. I am so proud of what we did. Long live our friendship and the friendship between our nations! Long live visionary patriotism!” Dimitrov wrote on Twitter.

EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn called the agreement “a historic breakthrough for the two countries, the region and Europe as a whole. I applaud the leaders on both sides for their courage and vision!”

“They had imagination, they took the risk, they were ready to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good. Zoran [Zaev], Alexis [Tsipras]– well done! Mission impossible accomplished”, European Council President Donald Tusk wrote on Twitter.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that ratification of the deal in Greece was “an important contribution to the stability and prosperity of the whole region. I look forward to the future Republic of North Macedonia joining NATO.”

In a joint statement, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister and EP rapporteur for Macedonia Ivo Vajgl also praised the achievement.

“We commend the immense statesmanship, determination and political courage of the leaders and confirmed by the parliaments of both countries. Unblocking a seemingly unresolvable dispute has taken intensive diplomatic efforts and the compromise would not have been possible without the support and responsibility shown by political and civic actors across the two countries,” they wrote.

Ratification of the deal in Athens is an important victory for the Greek Prime Minister. “We are one step before an historic event,” Tsipras told parliament on Thursday, one day before the vote.

Tsipras said that the previous failures to solve the long-standing dispute had deprived Greece of precious diplomatic capital, and he accused the conservative opposition New Democracy party, which opposed the agreement, of being hypocritical.

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament before the vote on Thursday that the deal was a “national defeat” and a “minefield” that once ratified would be impossible to scrap and difficult to amend.



He added that if he is elected Prime Minister, he would retain the right to block Macedonia’s EU accession at any time.



Before the vote, Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos, who quit the ruling coalition earlier this month over his disagreement with the name deal, accused Tsipras of seeking to break up his party. A handful of former members of Kammenos’s party, as expected, provided crucial support for approving the deal.

During the three-day parliamentary debate leading up to the vote, the tense atmosphere spilled onto the streets.

On Thursday night, thousands of opponents to the name deal gathered in Athens to protest and smaller clashes with the police were reported in front of the parliament.

In one incident, a group of protesters spray-painted “Macedonia is a Greek Land” outside the home of US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt in Athens, the police said.



In another incident in Katerini in Northern Greece, on Thursday night, three police officers were injured and 11 protesters were detained in a scuffle at a police cordon that was preventing a mob from reaching the home of the ruling coalition MP Elisavet Skoufa.



After ratifying the deal, parliament in Athens is expected soon to approve Macedonia’s NATO membership bid under its new name.

If this happens, Greece will be the first NATO member state to make such a move, in a process that is expected to pass other national parliaments during this year, resulting in Macedonia becoming a NATO member.

Western countries and the US lobbied strongly for the compromise deal, hoping to see an end to one of the region’s most arcane, disruptive and long-standing disputes.

The quarrel dates back to Macedonia’s independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece promptly objected to the former Yugoslav republic’s name, insisting that the word Macedonia formed part of Hellenic heritage, and insisting that its use implied a territorial pretension to the Greek province of the same name.

Years of mediation failed to achieve any result until Greece’s Tsipras and Macedonia’s new centre-left leader Zoran Zaev agreed a compromise solution signed last June on the banks of Lake Prespa, which divides the two countries.</s>A vote in Greece’s parliament to end a name dispute with neighboring FYR Macedonia, set to take place late Thursday, has been pushed back to Friday.

A deal reached between the two countries last year would have FYR Macedonia change its name to North Macedonia in exchange for Greece allowing North Macedonia’s bid to join NATO.

FYR Macedonia’s parliament backed the constitutional amendment to change its name, but for the deal to be complete, the changes must also be passed by Greece’s parliament.

The vote, initially scheduled to be held after midnight Thursday, was pushed back several hours to Friday to accommodate the large number of Greek lawmakers who wished to speak on the issue before the balloting.

The announcement on the delay came as protesters from the Greek Communist Party draped giant banners outside the Acropolis which read “No to the Tsipras-Zaev agreement.”

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his FYR Macedonian counterpart, Zoran Zaev, have reportedly been nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for their agreement last year to move to end one of the world’s longest diplomatic disputes – which began in 1991 when FYR Macedonia split from Yugoslavia.

But Greeks have been divided over the accord, in which Macedonia will change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Some Greeks say the new name still represents an attempt to appropriate Greek identity and cultural heritage, because Macedonia is also the name of Greece’s northern province made famous by Alexander the Great’s conquests.

The agreement has led Tsipras to lose his four-year coalition in parliament after his nationalist allies defected to protest the deal. Following the upheaval, Tsipras narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament Wednesday.

The agreement has also caused protests in FYR Macedonia, with critics there saying the government gave up too much in the deal.</s>ATHENS, Greece — Greek lawmakers are voting late Thursday on a deal with neighboring Macedonia that aims to end a nearly three decade-long dispute that has kept the former Yugoslav republic out of NATO and the European Union.

Greece, a member of both institutions, has blocked Macedonia's efforts to join the alliance, arguing use of the term "Macedonia" implies territorial ambitions on its own northern province of the same name, birthplace of the ancient warrior king Alexander the Great. Under a deal signed last year, the Balkan country will change its name to North Macedonia — and in return Greece will sign off on its efforts for NATO accession.

The deal, known as the Prespa Agreement after the border lake where it was signed, has faced strong opposition in both countries, with critics arguing their governments conceded too much to the other side.

In Greece, the agreement already cost the government its parliamentary majority, with the small right-wing Independent Greeks party quitting the governing coalition in protest. Still, the government narrowly survived a confidence vote last week and is expected to manage to get the deal approved by parliament in Thursday's vote. A simple majority of 151 of parliament's 300 members is required.

WHEN DID THE DISPUTE START?

The name dispute broke out in the early 1990s as Yugoslavia broke apart and its republics declared independence. It escalated quickly, with Athens imposing a crippling embargo on Macedonia, which is still officially recognized as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM. Most Greeks simply call the country by the name of its capital city, Skopje.

Decades of tortuous U.N.-mediated talks went nowhere until changes in the Macedonian government in 2017 rekindled hopes that a solution could be found. The Prespa Agreement was signed in June 2018.

WHY DID GREECE OBJECT TO THE NAME?

The term "Macedonia" harks back to the ancient kingdom once ruled by Alexander the Great. Greeks, who consider this one of the high points of their history, see the use of the name by their northern neighbor as an attempt to usurp their history and also fear it harbors territorial ambitions on its own northern province of the same name. The ancient kingdom's geographical area now includes parts of Greece, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav republic.

For the new country that emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia, the name Macedonia was one way for politicians to instill a sense of national pride, identity and nationhood in its population. Macedonian nationalists began producing maps of their country including Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city located in the north, which is the capital of the Greek province of Macedonia. Nikola Gruevski, Macedonian prime minister from 2006-2016, went on a building spree, erecting statues of ancient Greeks in the center of Skopje and naming the country's main highway and international airport after Alexander the Great. Greeks were horrified.

WHAT DOES THE AGREEMENT INVOLVE?

In broad terms, the deal stipulates Macedonia officially changes its name to North Macedonia and uses its new name both domestically and internationally. As part of the agreement, Macedonia had to make changes to its constitution to reflect the change.

Skopje has completed those steps, so the ball is now in Greece's court with the parliamentary vote. If the deal is ratified in parliament, Athens must then also officially notify NATO and the European Union that it supports its northern neighbor's efforts to join those institutions, and ratify Macedonia's NATO accession protocol.

Once the deal has been ratified and comes into effect, Macedonia will have a transition period of five years to amend official stationary, car number plates and passports, among other things.

ARE THERE STILL OBJECTIONS?

Absolutely. Many in Greece are outraged by what they see as the giving away of their national heritage. Many Greeks are particularly angered by the fact that under the agreement, the official nationality of the citizens of the country to their north will be official known as "Macedonian/citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia," meaning Greece will be recognizing Macedonian nationality. "Macedonian" is what those living in Greece's province of the same name call themselves. Opposition to the deal is strongest in northern Greece, where many have long demanded the country on their border not use any derivative of the term "Macedonia" in its name.

Critics also point out that although Macedonian lawmakers passed the required constitutional amendments, the full constitution incorporating these changes has yet to be made public.

Several protests have been planned in Greece to coincide with Thursday's vote, including one outside Parliament. Farmers' unions have said they will blockade the border with Macedonia and with Bulgaria Thursday afternoon, while a communist-backed union has called for protests both in Thessaloniki and in Athens near the US Embassy Thursday evening. Protests by tens of thousands of people Sunday turned violent, with demonstrators attacking police with iron bars, Molotov cocktails and rocks, and police making heavy use of tear gas.

Panos Kammenos, the head of the small right-wing Independent Greeks party who recently quit as defense minister and pulled his party out of the governing coalition in objection to the deal, has vowed to do whatever he can to stop the deal's ratification. The main opposition New Democracy party head, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, also described the agreement as a "bad deal."

But after the government survived a confidence motion last week, the opposition was not expected to be able to gather enough support now for a successful censure motion.</s>The Greek parliament is expected to vote on the Prespa deal, which has sown discord in the legislative body, on Friday.

A total of 27 percent of the respondents have a positive attitude toward the deal, while 11 percent have found it difficult to respond, the poll indicated.

READ MORE: Greek Parliament Shifts Vote on Macedonia Name Change to Friday — Reports

As for the snap elections, which could be triggered by the opposition, 30 percent of the Greeks said that the vote was possible, while almost 40 percent think that the election is unlikely and 19 percent said that such a possibility is "moderate," according to the poll's results.

Disagreements over the Prespa deal already prompted then-Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos to withdraw his right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL) party from the ruling coalition earlier in the month. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, in turn, called a vote of confidence in his government, which he has won. Greek New Democracy opposition party then has suggested that the country should hold early parliamentary elections.

READ MORE: Majority of Greeks Against Macedonia Name Change Deal — Scholar

Greece and Macedonia, officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), have been entangled in a naming dispute for years, with Athens opposing the use of "Macedonia," which is also the name of a region in Greece. The agreement on the new name for Macedonia – Republic of Northern Macedonia – was signed by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on June 17.

The deal paved the way for Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO, which had been earlier blocked by Greece over the naming issue. The Prespa agreement is widely criticized by various political forces in Greece, who staged massive protests in Athens last Sunday.</s>The rally was held on late Thursday at the Syntagma Square near the parliament’s building with 2,000-3,000 people having participated in the event. They called the country’s leadership traitors and demanded a referendum on ratification of the deal with Macedonia. Police boosted security measures in the area.

Several participants of the rally were reportedly detained.

Greece and Macedonia, officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), have been entangled in a naming dispute for years, with Athens opposing the use of "Macedonia," which is also the name of a region in Greece. The agreement on the new name for Macedonia – Republic of Northern Macedonia – was signed by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on June 17.

The deal paved the way for Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO, which had been earlier blocked by Greece over the naming issue. Earlier this month, the deal was supported by the majority of Macedonian lawmakers, while the Greek parliament is still to ratify the document.

The Prespa agreement is widely criticized by various political forces in Greece, who staged massive protests in Athens on Sunday. More than 60,000 people joined the Sunday demonstration, which resulted in clashes between protesters and police. Seven people were detained and 25 officers injured in scuffles.</s>ATHENS, Greece — The Latest on the name dispute between Greece and Macedonia (all times local):

The Greek parliament speaker’s office says a vote to ratify a deal with neighbouring Macedonia to change that country’s name to normalize relations and allow it to join NATO has been pushed back to Friday.

The delay aims to accommodate the large number of lawmakers who want to speak during the debate.

The vote had been scheduled to take place late Thursday night, but the office said there would not have been enough time to allow everyone registered to speak to have a turn on the podium.

Under the agreement signed last year, Macedonia will change its name to North Macedonia and Greece will drop its objections to the country’s accession to NATO, ending a nearly three decade-long dispute. But the deal faces strong opposition in both countries.

About 1,500 police officers have taken up positions around Athens before demonstrations planned against Greece’s ratification of an agreement with Macedonia to normalize relations after decades of strain.

A four-day parliamentary debate was due to end late Thursday with a vote that would finalize plans by Greece’s neighbour to change its name to North Macedonia and further its bid to join NATO.

Protesters from the Greek Communist Party draped two giant banners opposing the deal over the walls of the ancient Acropolis early Thursday.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ government needs support from up to six opposition lawmakers for the agreement to be ratified.

Opponents argue that the deal doesn’t end a potential territorial threat to Greece’s northern region of Macedonia. Mass demonstrations last Sunday were marred by extensive violence.
The parliament of Greece votes 153–146 in approval of changing the name of the Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia, ending a 27-year naming dispute.