FYROM government submits deal on new name to parliament

The government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) set in motion Monday the process of ratifying a pending agreement to change the country's name to "North Macedonia" in hopes of ending a bitter 27-year dispute with southern neighbor Greece.

FYROM government spokesman Mile Bosnjakovski said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's Cabinet approved the deal he reached last week and forwarded it for parliament's approval.
The agreement, which will take months to complete and faces several hurdles on the way, was signed Sunday by the two countries' foreign ministers in the border Prespa Lakes area.

FYROM's parliament speaker told the state MIA news agency the ratification debate would start Tuesday and is forecast to end by Friday night. Lawmakers are expected to endorse the proposal. The governing coalition controls 61 of the 120 seats in parliament.