Secretary-General Congratulates Greece, Republic of North Macedonia on Settling Long-Standing ‘Name’ Dispute, as Agreement Enters into Force

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General has received official notification of the entry into force of the Prespa Agreement as of 12 February, which, among other things, expresses the agreement by the parties to the name “Republic of North Macedonia”.  He welcomes this development, which settles the long-standing dispute between Athens and Skopje and demonstrates that even seemingly intractable issues can be resolved through dialogue and political will.

The Secretary-General congratulates the two countries and Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev on their determination in creating a forward-looking vision for relations between the two countries and reconciliation in the Balkan region and beyond.  He is deeply grateful to his Personal Envoy, Matthew Nimetz, for his unwavering commitment and dedication in facilitating the negotiations.

The Secretary-General calls on Member States, regional organizations and all international partners to support the historical steps that the parties have taken.