On Tuesday 12 June, Athens and Skopje reached an agreement on the name, North Macedonia, in an effort to refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in the future, which has been independent since 1991.
If this agreement is ratified by the FYROM’s population by the autumn, it should allow this country to officially begin accession negotiations to the European Union and join NATO.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, described this agreement as “historic” and that it would contribute to, “the transformation of the entire region”. In a press release she said that “The European Union perspective of the Western Balkans... remains the most powerful stabilising force for the region".
Ms Mogherini said that she hoped that the Council of the EU would be able to approve the European Commission's recommendation from last April to begin EU accession negotiations (see EUROPE 12004). The EU High Representative said that, "This is not only merited...but it will contribute crucially to the full implementation of the agreement". (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)