Image copyright Getty/Reuters Image caption Protests have been held in both Greece and Macedonia against a compromise on the name of the former Yugoslav republic

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 formal name of Republic of North Macedonia.

Greece had objected to the name Macedonia, fearing territorial claims on its eponymous northern region.

It had vetoed the neighbour's bid to join Nato and the European Union.

The new name will now need to be approved by the Macedonian people and Greek parliament.

What's the solution?

Under the deal, the country known at the United Nations as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) will be named Republic of North Macedonia.

Its language will be Macedonian and its people known as Macedonians (citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia).

Significantly, they agreed that the new name would be used both internationally and bilaterally, so that even the 140 or more countries that recognise the name Macedonia will also have to adopt North Macedonia. In Macedonian, the name is Severna Makedonija.

They also agreed that the English name could be used as well as the Slavic term.

Image caption Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev gave details of the deal in a live address from the capital Skopje

The two sides had earlier dropped a number of alternatives, including Gorna Makedonija (Upper Macedonia), Nova Makedonija (New Macedonia) and Ilinden Macedonia.

Why the problem?

The name Macedonia already belongs to a northern region of Greece that includes the country's second city Thessaloniki. By adopting the name in 1991, the new nation infuriated many Greeks, who suspected their northern neighbour of territorial ambitions.

The new state of Macedonia did not help matters when it named the main airport in its capital, Skopje, after Ancient Greek hero Alexander the Great, as well as a key motorway running from the Serbian to the Greek border.

During the 4th Century BC, the Macedonia of Alexander and his father Philip II before him ruled all of Greece and much beyond it.

Is this row really about Alexander the Great?

Only partly. Greece argues that Macedonia is an intrinsic part of Hellenic heritage. The ancient capital of Aigai is close to the modern Greek town of Vergina, while Alexander's birthplace is in Pella. As part of the deal, it is made clear that the people of North Macedonia have no relation to ancient Greek civilisation and their language is part of the Slavic family, unrelated to ancient Greek heritage.

But while Alexander remains a powerful symbol, recent territorial disputes over Macedonia are far more serious.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Alexander the Great ruled over Greece and created a vast empire in the ancient world

When the Ottomans were driven out of the broad region known as Macedonia during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, it was split up, mainly between Greece and Serbia, but a small part went to Bulgaria.

In World War Two, Greek and Yugoslav Macedonia were occupied by Bulgaria, an ally of Nazi Germany and Italy. Communists from both Yugoslavia and Bulgaria played a part in the Greek civil war that followed, so memories are still raw.

When Yugoslavia broke up, Greece would only accept the new country as "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom)" at the UN, even though much of the world came to recognise it as Macedonia.

What has changed?

A new mood has emerged between the governments to put an end to the dispute.

Image copyright Getty Images

Macedonia's government set the stage for a deal earlier this year when it renamed its airport "International airport Skopje" and the Alexander the Great motorway is now simply "Friendship" (Prijatelstvo in Macedonian).

There is also a push for a settlement both from the EU and Nato which some have put down to fears of creeping Russian influence in the Balkans. Greece is the main obstacle to Macedonia joining Nato.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Macedonia's Zoran Zaev met on the sidelines of an EU summit in Bulgaria last month, prompting reports that a deal was close.

Then they had a long phone-call on Monday and followed it up with another conversation on Tuesday.

Mr Tsipras then gave details of the deal to the Greek president and then Mr Zaev went on live TV in Macedonia, hailing the agreement as historic and adding: "There is no way back."

Mr Tsipras gave a live address a little later, speaking of "a great diplomatic victory but also a great historic opportunity".

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised the two prime ministers for their "willingness" to solve the dispute.

The text is expected to be signed on Saturday on the shores of Lake Prespa, which spans the countries' borders.

Will the name fly?

The aim is to get Macedonia's parliament to back an agreement before EU leaders meet for a summit on 28 June. Greece will then send a letter to the EU withdrawing its objection to accession talks and a letter to Nato too.

That will be followed by a Macedonian referendum in September or October.

If Macedonian voters back the deal, their government will then have to change the constitution, a key Greek demand.

The deal will finally have to be ratified by the Greek parliament.

That may not be straightforward. Greeks are generally opposed to any name that includes Macedonia and some political parties are unlikely to back this.

On 13 June, the parties are expected to get a copy of the 20-page deal to examine before announcing their stance. Mr Tsipras insists that he has maintained all of Greece's "red lines" - but the document is likely to be leaked by those who oppose it.

Large protests against a deal were held in some 25 Greek cities earlier this month, from Pella to Thessaloniki. When big crowds descended on the centres of Athens and Thessaloniki in February, renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, 92, said the neighbouring northern state was illegitimate. "Macedonia was, is and will forever be Greek," he insisted.

What if it doesn't work out?

A lot can happen over a long, hot summer. Delays may hamper the planned timescale and there could be repercussions for both leaders.

Mr Tsipras and Mr Zaev will have to face down opposition within their own countries as well as beyond.

A nationalist party, Independent Greeks, may refuse to back the deal, but it is unlikely to put at risk a ruling coalition that it is part of.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Matthew Nimetz has spent more time on the name issue in two decades of shuttle diplomacy than anyone else

Although the two prime ministers have taken control of the issue, United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz will likely be called upon to sort out any problems.

Since 1994, this US diplomat has quietly shuttled between Athens and Skopje searching for common ground that would eventually lead to a deal.

It is difficult to see how another deal could work.</s>The prime ministers of Greece and FYR Macedonia have agreed on a new name for the latter country – the Republic of Northern Macedonia – ending a bitter 27-year dispute.

Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev made the announcements shortly after speaking by phone on Tuesday. The new name will be used both domestically and internationally, and FYR Macedonia will amend its constitution as part of the deal.

The name dispute has poisoned relations between the two countries since Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and has prevented FYR Macedonia from joining international institutions such as NATO and the European Union.

Athens, which like all members of both organisations has a veto over admissions, objected to its neighbour’s use of the name Macedonia, arguing that it, along with articles in the constitution, could imply territorial claims over its own northern region of the same name.

Greece had long demanded that FYR Macedonia change or modify its name to avoid any claim to the territory and heritage of the region, the birthplace of Alexander the Great.

Tsipras said in a televised statement that Macedonia’s name change would allow a clear distinction between Greece’s province of Macedonia and the neighbouring country.

Zaev said resolving the longstanding issue would open FYR Macedonia’s access to NATO and the EU. “There is no way back,” Zaev told a news conference.

Under the deal, the country known at the United Nations as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) will be named Severna Makedonija, or Republic of North Macedonia.

Its language will be Macedonian and its people known as Macedonians (citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia).

Significantly, they agreed that the new name would be used both internationally and bilaterally, so that even the 140 or more countries that recognize the name Macedonia will also have to adopt North Macedonia.

FYR Macedonia had proposed four names to resolve the dispute: Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Upper Macedonia, Republic of Vardar Macedonia and Republic of Macedonia (Skopje).

After splitting from the former Yugoslavia, FYR Macedonia was admitted into the UN in 1993 as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Will the name fly?

The aim is to get Macedonia’s parliament to back an agreement before EU leaders meet for a summit on 28 June. Greece will then send a letter to the EU withdrawing its objection to accession talks and a letter to Nato too.

That will be followed by a FYR Macedonia referendum in September or October.

If FYR Macedonia voters back the deal, their government will then have to change the constitution. The Athens government is also adamant that the new name, rather than Macedonia, is used by everyone, nationally and internationally. That idea may be beyond its control.

The proposed name change has been resisted by sections of the FYR Macedonia public. Protesters this spring called for a UN resolution demanding recognition of the country under the name of Macedonia.

The deal will finally have to be ratified by the Greek parliament.</s>The prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia have agreed on a new name for the latter country – the Republic of Northern Macedonia – ending a bitter 27-year dispute.

Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev made the announcements shortly after speaking by phone on Tuesday. The new name will be used both domestically and internationally, and Macedonia will amend its constitution as part of the deal.

The name dispute has poisoned relations between the two countries since Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and has prevented Macedonia from joining international institutions such as Nato and the European Union.

Athens, which like all members of both organisations has a veto over admissions, objected to its neighbour’s use of the name Macedonia, arguing that it, along with articles in the constitution, could imply territorial claims over its own northern region of the same name.

Greece had long demanded that Macedonia change or modify its name to avoid any claim to the territory and heritage of the region, the birthplace of Alexander the Great.



Tsipras said in a televised statement that Macedonia’s name change would allow a clear distinction between Greece’s province of Macedonia and the neighbouring country.

Zaev said resolving the longstanding issue would open Macedonia’s access to Nato and the EU. “There is no way back,” Zaev told a news conference.

Macedonia had proposed four names to resolve the dispute: Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Upper Macedonia, Republic of Vardar Macedonia and Republic of Macedonia (Skopje).

After splitting from the former Yugoslavia, Macedonia was admitted into the UN in 1993 as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The proposed name change has been resisted by sections of the Macedonian public. Protesters this spring called for a UN resolution demanding recognition of the country under the name of Macedonia.</s>Macedonia Gets New Name, Ending 27-Year Dispute With Greece

Ever since the Republic of Macedonia declared its independence in 1991, Greece has been fighting the country over its name. Today the 27-year impasse ended as two nations finally came to a resolution: The former Yugoslav republic is getting a new name, the Republic of North Macedonia.

"There is no way back," Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in a press conference, Reuters reports, after he spoke with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras. "Our bid in the compromise is a defined and precise name, the name that is honorable and geographically precise — Republic of Northern Macedonia."

When Yugoslavia disintegrated, one of its pieces declared itself the Republic of Macedonia. But its southern neighbor, Greece, has regions that use the same name, and both countries argued that they had the rightful claim to it.

"We have a deal. I'm happy because we have a good deal which covers all the preconditions set by the Greek side," Tsipras said, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The issue has been heated, and one with very real repercussions for Macedonia: It hasn't been able to join the European Union or NATO because Greece opposed its name. It was admitted to the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, because of Greece's objection.

The statements from diplomats trumpeting today's deal reflect the linguistic awkwardness of the issue. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's statement refers to "the agreement between Athens and Skopje" rather than naming the countries.

"This historic agreement is testament to many years of patient diplomacy, and to the willingness of these two leaders to solve a dispute which has affected the region for too long," Stoltenberg said. "I now call on both countries to finalise the agreement reached by the two leaders. This will set Skopje on its path to NATO membership. And it will help to consolidate peace and stability across the wider Western Balkans."

In February, as NPR's Joanna Kakassis reported, more than 140,000 Greeks marched to parliament in Athens as part of a "Macedonia is Greece" rally, chanting that the name "is in our soul." The issues cut deep in both countries, she explains, and involve a historical figure from 25 centuries ago:

Greece has a northern province called Macedonia, also the cradle of ancient Macedonia and its most famous leader, Alexander the Great. Greece considers Macedonia a non-negotiable part of its history. Its neighbor, meanwhile, considers Alexander — who incorporated its land into an empire that extended to India — part of local identity. Macedonia's flag is emblazoned with the Sun of Vergina — a symbol associated with the dynasty of Alexander and his father Philip. As a result, previous Greek governments have claimed that the Republic of Macedonia— tiny, impoverished and with virtually no military might — also has territorial designs on its province. So Greece calls its neighbor Skopje, after the capital, or Fyrom, the acronym for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the provisional name under which it was admitted to the United Nations.

Last week, protests took place in both Greece and Macedonia against the proposed compromise.

Matthew Nimetz, a retired U.S. diplomat, has been the U.N. mediator on the issue since 1994. He told the BBC last year that he probably has spent more time thinking about the word "Macedonia" than anyone, including in the country itself.

In a statement, Nimetz congratulated the two prime ministers on reaching an agreement: "I have no doubt this agreement will lead to a period of enhanced relations between the two neighbouring countries and especially between their people."</s>The ongoing naming dispute between Greece and (the Former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia is escalating. Last week Greece announced its intention to block Macedonia's bid to join NATO and the EU unless the country changes its name (which also refers to a neighboring region of Greece). This touched off a protest of 5000 Macedonians in Skopje yesterday. Thankfully, the U.N. is on the case:

On Tuesday, U.N. envoy Matthew Nimetz proposed five name alternatives: Constitutional Republic of Macedonia, Democratic Republic of Macedonia, Independent Republic of Macedonia, New Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Upper Macedonia. (emphasis mine)

Ahem. If Ban Ki-moon and company think Greece is the only aggressively territorial entity out there when it comes to names, they're sorely mistaken.</s>"There is no way back," Zaev said at a news conference after speaking with his Greek counterpart, Alexis Tsipras, by telephone. A meeting of the two soon may seal the deal, he said.

"Our bid in the compromise is a defined and precise name, the name that is honorable and geographically precise — Republic of Northern Macedonia."

"By solving the name question, we are becoming a member of NATO," Zaev added.

The accord still requires ratification by the two national parliaments and a referendum in Macedonia. It also needs to revise its constitution, Tsipras said, before Greece ratifies the deal.

The name dispute has soured relations between the two neighbors since at least 1991, when Macedonia broke away from the former Yugoslavia, declaring its independence under the name Republic of Macedonia.

Many Greeks believed that their northern neighbor was trying to hijack Greece's ancient cultural heritage. Macedonia the Greek province is the birthplace of Alexander the Great.

"Maybe what has the most historic gravity and value for Greece (is that) according to this accord ... our northern neighbors don't have, and cannot assert, any link to the ancient Greek culture of Macedonia," Tsipras said in a televised address on Tuesday evening.

But Greeks seem cool to any deal involving the continued use of the name Macedonia by their northern neighbor. Most opposition parties have criticized Tsipras's tactics, and even his coalition partner, the right-leaning Independent Greeks, have said they will not back an accord that allows the continued use of the name Macedonia.

But Tsipras is still likely to win support from center-left parties. "We want to be part of a solution," said an official at the opposition Socialist Party.

Macedonia and Greece have been racing to agree on the outline of a settlement before an EU summit in late June. A NATO summit is scheduled for mid-July.

Veteran United Nations diplomat Matthew Nimetz, who has been a mediator in the name dispute since 1994, hailed the "leadership, vision and determination" of the foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia, who have negotiated for months.

"I am encouraged by the dedication of both governments to deliver mutual benefits for all their citizens through the establishment of a strategic partnership as a basis for intensified cooperation across all sectors," he said in a statement.</s>VALLETTA, Malta — The leaders from Greece and Macedonia managed a breakthrough Tuesday in one of Europe’s most intractable foreign policy fights, announcing they’d agreed on a new name for a country born 27 years ago from the rubble of Yugoslavia.

If the deal goes through — and the countries still could put it to parliamentary votes or referendums — Macedonia will formally change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia and Greece will drop its opposition to the small Balkan nation joining NATO and the European Union.

What is known in neighboring Macedonia and Greece simply as the “name dispute” has burned for years amid accusations big and small — about cultural appropriation, about national identity, about statues and museums, about airports named after Alexander the Great. Athens accused Skopje of having designs on its northern territory also called “Macedonia.”

The agreement could help stabilize one of Europe’s poorest and most turbulent regions, one where Russia has battled for influence and discouraged countries from joining NATO. Last month, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Macedonia was showing “resistance” to Moscow and he hoped talks with Greece would “bear fruit soon.”

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday evening in a statement that the agreement would set Macedonia “on its path to NATO membership. And it will help to consolidate peace and stability across the wider Western Balkans.”

Macedonia joined the United Nations more than 20 years ago on the Greek condition that it refer to itself internationally as FYROM — the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Still, many countries, including the United States, recognize the country by the name it uses in its constitution: the Republic of Macedonia.

Analysts say Macedonia and Greece made progress recently with the hope of having a deal in place before a late-June E.U. summit. Negotiations have been brokered with the help of diplomats from the United Nations.

The two countries are led by left-leaning prime ministers who will face domestic opposition over the name change — particularly in Greece, where Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s coalition partner in government says it doesn’t back the deal. Tsipras — who announced the deal on national television — faces a reelection over the next year, and polls suggest his party trails conservatives by a significant margin.

“Greece is tricky,” said James Ker-Lindsay, a fellow at the London School of Economics who studies the Balkans. “Have you taken a look at Macedonia? It’s impoverished. Landlocked. It’s not going to be a threat to Greece.”

Macedonia has tried to win Greek goodwill. This year, it removed the name of Alexander the Great from the airport in its capital.

“Concerning the [Macedonian] people, I don’t know how they will react,” said Denko Maleski, a retired law professor who was Macedonia’s minister of foreign affairs in the early 1990s. “But the government had to make this move to get out of isolation.”

The world needs to pay attention to the crisis over Macedonia’s name

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but Macedonia can’t keep its current name and please Greece.

Still, the fix may be relatively simple. The addition of one word—North—may make all the difference in resolving a 27-year diplomatic dispute, and there may soon be a nation called North Macedonia.

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 neighbor’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.

In 1995, the two countries came to an interim agreement brokered by the UN. Macedonia came to be known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM. Today (June 12), leaders from both nations said a final agreement may well have been reached.

Re-birth of a nation: The Republic of North Macedonia

The new name, Republic of North Macedonia—Severna Makedonija in Macedonian—should resolve the conflict once and for all. According to the BBC, Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev, speaking live on TV in Macedonia, said, “There is no way back.”

Don’t break out the champagne just yet. First the Macedonian parliament and people have to vote on the proposed new name. And the Greek parliament has to agree that this is an acceptable resolution. Macedonia will also have to change its constitution, according to Zaev.

He reportedly proposed four options to settle the long-standing dispute, including Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Upper Macedonia, Republic of Vardar Macedonia and Republic of Macedonia. Last month, at an EU summit in Bulgaria, Zaev and Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras discussed a resolution, and the two spoke twice on the phone this week before announcing the deal. They got kudos from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who tweeted his pleasure over the “historic agreement.”

The history behind the dispute

Greece was peeved by Macedonia’s choice of name for historic reasons. In the 4th Century BC, the Macedonian Empire ruled by Alexander the Great included what is now modern Greece. The Greeks argue that modern Macedonia is actually part of Hellenic culture. But the new deal will also emphasize the fact that Macedonians to the north speak a Slavic language and don’t have a linguistic kinship with the Macedonians of Greece.

The BBC reports that many Greeks are resistant to a deal that includes the name Macedonia at all. Earlier this month protestors descended on 25 cities to oppose an agreement. Similarly, in February, protests in Athens and Thessaloniki prompted renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis to proclaim, “Macedonia was, is and will forever be Greek.”

It seems, however, that the Republic of North Macedonia, won’t be.

Read next: Nearly every country on Earth is named after one of four things</s>Greece has reached a deal on the future name of its northern neighbour, which called itself Macedonia at the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

After years of protests and seemingly endless diplomacy, they have settled on the name Republic of North Macedonia, or Severna Makedonija in Macedonian.

The aim of the deal is to remove Greece's block on its neighbour's bid to join Nato and the European Union. But first it will need to be approved by the Macedonian people and Greek parliament.

Under the deal, the country known at the United Nations as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom) will be named Severna Makedonija, or Republic of North Macedonia.

Its language will be Macedonian and its people known as Macedonians (citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia).

Significantly, they agreed that the new name would be used both internationally and bilaterally, so that even the many countries that recognise the name Macedonia will also have to adopt North Macedonia.

They also agreed that the English name could be used as well as the Slavic term.

The two sides had earlier dropped a number of alternatives, including Gorna Makedonija (Upper Macedonia), Nova Makedonija (New Macedonia) and Ilinden Macedonia.

The name Macedonia already belongs to a northern region of Greece that includes the country's second city Thessaloniki. By adopting the same identity in 1991, the new Slavic nation infuriated many Greeks, who suspected their northern neighbour of territorial ambitions.

The new Macedonians did not help matters when they named the main airport in the capital, Skopje, after Ancient Greek hero Alexander the Great, as well as a key motorway running from the Serbian to the Greek border.

During the 4th Century BC, the Macedonia of Alexander and his father Philip II before him ruled all of Greece and much beyond it.
• The M word: Why the row over Macedonia's name runs so deep

Is this row really about Alexander the Great?

Only partly. Greece argues that Macedonia is an intrinsic part of Hellenic heritage. The ancient capital of Aigai is close to the modern Greek town of Vergina, while Alexander's birthplace is in Pella. As part of the deal, it is made clear that the people of North Macedonia have no relation to ancient Greek civilisation.

But while Alexander remains a powerful symbol, recent territorial disputes over Macedonia are far more serious.

When the Ottomans were driven out of the broad region known as Macedonia during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, it was split up, mainly between Greece and Serbia, but a small part went to Bulgaria.

In World War Two, Greek and Yugoslav Macedonia were occupied by Bulgaria, an ally of Nazi Germany and Italy. Communists from both Yugoslavia and Bulgaria played a part in the Greek civil war that followed, so memories are still raw.

When Yugoslavia broke up, Greece would only accept the new country as "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom)" at the UN, even though more than 100 other countries recognise it as Macedonia.
• The man who has focused on one word for 23 years

A new mood has emerged between the governments to put an end to the dispute.

Macedonia's government set the stage for a deal earlier this year when it renamed its airport "International airport Skopje" and the Alexander the Great motorway is now simply "Friendship" (Prijatelstvo in Macedonian).

There is also a push for a settlement both from the EU and Nato which some have put down to fears of creeping Russian influence in the Balkans. Greece is the main obstacle to Macedonia joining Nato.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Macedonia's Zoran Zaev met on the sidelines of an EU summit in Bulgaria last month, prompting reports that a deal was close.

Then they had a long phone-call on Monday and followed it up with another conversation on Tuesday. Mr Tsipras then gave details of the detail to the Greek president and Mr Zaev announced the deal in a live address.

The text will be signed on Saturday on the shores of Lake Prespa, which spans the countries' borders.

Will the name fly?

The aim is to get Macedonia's parliament to back an agreement before EU leaders meet for a summit on 28 June. Greece will then send a letter to the EU withdrawing its objection to accession talks and a letter to Nato too.

That will be followed by a Macedonian referendum in September or October.

If Macedonian voters back the deal, their government will then have to change the constitution. The Athens government is also adamant that the new name, rather than Macedonia, is used by everyone, nationally and internationally. That idea may be beyond its control.

The deal will finally have to be ratified by the Greek parliament.

That may not be straightforward. Greeks are generally opposed to any name that includes Macedonia and some political parties are unlikely to back this.

Large protests against a deal were held in some 25 Greek cities earlier this month, from Alexander the Great's birthplace of Pella to the second city Thessaloniki. When big crowds descended on the centres of Athens and Thessaloniki in February, renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, 92, said the neighbouring northern state was illegitimate. "Macedonia was, is and will forever be Greek," he insisted.

What if it doesn't work out?

A lot can happen over a long, hot summer. Delays may hamper the planned timescale and there could be repercussions for both leaders.

Mr Tsipras and Mr Zaev will have to face down opposition within their own countries as well as beyond.

A nationalist party, Independent Greeks, may refuse to back the deal, but it is unlikely to put at risk a ruling coalition that it is part of.

Although the two prime ministers have taken control of the issue, United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz will likely be called upon to sort out any problems.

Since 1994, this US diplomat has quietly shuttled between Athens and Skopje searching for common ground that would eventually lead to a deal.

It is difficult to see how another deal could work.</s>ATHENS/SKOPJE (Reuters) - Greece and Macedonia have reached an historic accord to resolve a dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name that has troubled relations between the two neighbours for decades.

Under the deal, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said his country would officially be called the "Republic of Northern Macedonia". It is currently known formally at the United Nations under the interim name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".

Zaev said the deal would open the way for the tiny Balkan nation's eventual membership of the European Union and NATO, currently blocked by Greece's objections to its use of the name Macedonia. Athens say that name implies territorial claims on a northern Greek province of the same name.

"There is no way back," Zaev told a news conference after speaking with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras by telephone. A meeting of the two soon may seal the deal, he said.

"Our bid in the compromise is a defined and precise name, the name that is honourable and geographically precise - Republic of Northern Macedonia."

"By solving the name question, we are becoming a member of NATO," Zaev added.

The accord still requires ratification by the two national parliaments and a referendum in Macedonia. Skopje also needs to revise its constitution, Tsipras said, before Greece ratifies the deal.

The name dispute has soured relations between the two neighbours at least since 1991, when Macedonia broke away from former Yugoslavia, declaring its independence under the name Republic of Macedonia.

Many Greeks felt their northern neighbour was trying to hijack Greece's ancient cultural heritage. Macedonia is the birthplace of Alexander the Great.

"Maybe what has the most historic gravity and value for Greece (is that) according to this accord... our northern neighbours don't have, and cannot assert, any link to the ancient Greek culture of Macedonia," Tsipras said in a televised address on Tuesday evening.

But Greeks seem cool to any deal involving the continued use of the name "Macedonia" by their northern neighbour. Most opposition parties have criticised Tsipras's tactics, and even his coalition partner, the right-leaning Independent Greeks, have said they will not back an accord that allows the continued use of "Macedonia".

But the leftist leader is still likely to win support from centre-left parties. "We want to be part of a solution," said an official at the opposition Socialist Party.

Athens and Skopje have been racing to agree the outline of a settlement before an EU summit in late June. A NATO summit is scheduled for mid-July.

Veteran United Nations diplomat Matthew Nimetz, who has been a mediator in the name dispute since 1994, hailed the "leadership, vision and determination" of the foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia, who have negotiated for months.

"I am encouraged by the dedication of both governments to deliver mutual benefits for all their citizens through the establishment of a strategic partnership as a basis for intensified cooperation across all sectors," he said in a statement.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Greece and the Republic of Macedonia reach a deal to end a 27-year naming dispute between both countries, which would result in Macedonia being officially renamed the Republic of North Macedonia.