Macedonian referendum

Macedonian lawmakers were set to hold a crucial debate on changing the country's name to settle a decades-long dispute with Greece, reported Radio Free Europe. 

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has backed changing the country's name to Republic of North Macedonia, and is pushing for approval in the debate scheduled for January 9.

Lawmakers in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are expected to start debating on the four constitutional amendments required by the name deal signed with Greece on Wednesday.

With a vote on the Prespes name deal between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) expected in Skopje's Parliament this week, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to have an idea on how to move forward by Friday.

Amid intensive talks with party leaders to secure the parliamentary votes needed to ratify a contentious deal on the name dispute with Greece, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Friday sought to dampen concerns in Athens over the agreement.

Rama previously said that "besides the border with Kosovo" he wants to also open Albania's borders with Macedonia, Montenegro and Greece.

Zaev stated on Thursday that he would "do the same, because it would benefit the region," the website Faktor.mk is reporting.

"I would immediately open all borders," the Macedonian PM is quoted as saying.

Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), said on Wednesday the agreement his country signed with Greece to resolve the decades-old name dispute will strengthen the small Balkan country's dignity.

Russia's relations with Greece will not be affected by the result of the ongoing procedure to ratify an agreement signed between Athens and Skopje to resolve a long-standing dispute on the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the Russian Ambassador to Greece said on Wednesday.

Wided Bouchamaoui, the recipient of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for her participation in the Tunisia National Dialogue Quartet, will be nominating the prime ministers of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Zoran Zaev, for the next award, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency has reported.

One of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize winners, Tunisian economist Uided Bushamaui, has said she will nominate the two prime ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, for signing a landmark agreement between their countries.

Macedonia and Bulgaria's long-simmering dispute over the Macedonian language is threatening to boil over again, just as Skopje nears a resolution to its dispute with Greece over the name "Macedonia'', reported Radio Free Europe.