European Union welcomes the decision of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to change the name. Since Wednesday, the country’s official name is North Macedonia, Guardian reported.
The new name of the former Yugoslav republic will be incorporated in official road signs, the first one is that on the border with Greece. After more than two decades of diplomatic dispute, punctuated by high drama with Greece, a new state called North Macedonia has finally assumed its place on the map of western Balkan nations.
The point of dispute was the Greek province of Macedonia has long been associated with the world famous Alexander the Great. After the national referendum last month, people of FYROM agreed on changing the name. In addition, such a decision has an extremely important side effect for ex-Macedonia.
The freshly named country celebrated the event with a flag-raising ceremony marking its long-awaited accession to NATO. On Wednesday, the military alliance’s distinctive flag was hoisted outside the main government building in capital Skopje.
North Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev has addressed assembled dignitaries in front of the building where workers were poised to replace a Republic of Macedonia sign removed earlier in the week with the state’s new name. The social democrat leader Zaev luxuriated in the moment, saying a “historic goal” had been achieved thanks to the recent referendum.
“Long live the Republic of North Macedonia,” prime minister tweeted.
North Macedonian joining NATO will allow to a multi-ethnic country which only narrowly escaped the bloody civil war in 2001 to plan its future inside the EU and to collaborate with military allies as a full member.
