Macedonian referendum

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrives at a historic visit to Skopje, the World Agencies have reported.
 
This is the first visit of a Greek prime minister to the former Yugoslav republic. According to France Press this is the first Greek leader in Skopje in many years.

The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, has stressed the trade and investment opportunities created by the Greece-North Macedonia Prespa Agreement and confirmed a controversial initiative for the two countries to exchange cultural monuments.

Main opposition New Democracy is up in arms over repeated violations of the terms of the Prespa Agreement by Skopje.

The leaders of both Albania and North Macedonia say they believe that the European Union will decide in June to open membership talks with them.
North Macedonias Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who on Wednesday was in Tirana to meet with his counterpart Edi Rama, said they expect "the EU to take a positive stand on our two countries ... so that we fulfil this strategic goal."

Opponents of the Greece-North Macedonian Prespa Agreement are up in arms about press reports by both the BBC and now the Russian state-run new service Sputnik that use interviews with Greeks of Slavo-Macedonian descent who speak about the existence of a minority in the Greek province of Macedonia and about state discrimination.

National Assembly President Tsveta Karayancheva spoke with her colleague from the Assembly of the Republic of Northern Macedonia Talat Xhaferi, reported the Bulgarian National Television.

He is in Bulgaria on the occasion of the vote in the National Assembly on the bill for ratification of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of Accession of the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

The speaker of Macedonia's parliament on Friday set April 21 as the date for presidential elections, reported Reuters. 

"I'm convinced that all involved in the electoral process will give their contribution so the elections can be conducted in a fair and democratic atmosphere," Talat Xhaferi said after announcing the date.

The prime minister of the newly named North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, has told the Financial Times that his country's accession to NATO is a "great honor" and described the fears that he and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras had had before signing the Prespes deal. 

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (l) and North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev (r) attend a discussion session during the 55th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Saturday. "History is written by those who dare to make changes and stand on the right side of history.

Police in North Macedonia have prevented a planned "terrorist act" by supporters of the Islamic State (IS) militant group, the Western Balkan country's Interior Ministry says, reported by Radio Free Europe.