Greece authorizes Macedonia name agreement

(MENAFN) Greece's parliament has approved a landmark accord that changes the name of Macedonia, ending a decades-old dispute.

The move also paves the way for the ex-Yugoslav republic to join the European Union and NATO.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who settled the deal with his Macedonian counterpart last year, has secured the parliamentary majority needed to get the accord approved with support from independent and opposition MPs.

He said: "after one year of negotiations, discussions and exhaustive dialogue, we are reaching the end of a tough and painful process," calling on MPs to approve the accord.

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