Ivanov, Gruevski party to trouble Macedonia for new name

Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has handed over to state president Gjorge Ivanov Agreement with Greece on the name issue, but meeting with the head of state, according to the presidency communiqué, has lasted only two minutes, while according to the Government, the meeting has been abandoned by Ivanov, enabling the prime minister and the chief of diplomacy to clarify, reportedly, “benefits for the state from the deal reached”.

“Prime Minister Zaev and Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Dimitrov had a constructive effort to present and review the contents of the agreement, but President Ivanov has interrupted the debate and has abandoned the meeting by refusing to discuss the benefits of this historic agreement on the future of Macedonia”, the Government communiqué reportedly.

Meanwhile, with the president, the opposition leader, Hristija Mickovski, has also met after earlier calling for a meeting between him, the head of state and prime minister.

In a presentation to the media, VMRO-DPMNE chairman Hristian Mickovski said he wants the document in written form, while referring to the content of what Prime Minister Zoran Zaev published on Tuesday, said such an agreement is unacceptable for the opposition, calling the “chapter agreement”.

“Let the Macedonian opinion judge what man we're dealing with. Zaev promised something else, while Macedonia brings the chapter agreement. None of his words are worth anything. For several months he changed his behavior by damaging the Republic of Macedonia. This time, the price of such a chapter will be paid to the citizens of the country. This presents absolute defeat of Macedonian diplomacy that cannot be interpreted as victory. This agreement has been betrayed by the expectations of Macedonian citizens”, said Mickovski, who was later called at a meeting also by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to announce with details of the agreement.

From the government remain in the stance that the agreement guarantees the country's future, as well as Macedonian, %s authentication clientSecurity, and with this better perspective for citizens and state in general.

Macedonia before itself has a very strategic goal -- NATO and EU membership. It is membership in these organisations that is one of the Government of Macedonia's obligations, since we are aware that citizens expect it because they know that NATO membership brings much expected security not only physical but also law and economic, as well as prosperity for citizens and state”, Deputy Prime Minister Radmila Sugarinska said.

Albanian parties, on the other hand, have given support to the agreement, praising it as a positive step towards unblocking the name dispute and opening the country's Euro-Atlantic integration path. Albanian parties do not contest new name, as opposed to previous one, when warning their primary concern was errors in translation.

Otherwise, after the European Union and NATO, the Macedonia-Greece Agreement has also been welcomed by the United States of America.

“The US commends the prime ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, for resolving the name dispute. The solution will be useful for both countries and will strengthen regional security and progress. Prime Ministers Zaev and Tsipras showed vision, courage and commitment in finding acceptable mutual solution”, the US State Department response reported.