MIA

Macedonian citizens will vote on whether to change the name of their country to "North Macedonia" - i.e., support an agreement reached with Greece after a multi-decade dispute.

According to the latest polls, most of those who said they would vote will circle "yes" - but it remains uncertain whether the turnout will reach the necessary minimum of 50 percent of voters.

French Ambassador to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Christian Thimonier has urged the people of the Balkan country to approve the name change deal in the September 30 referendum, saying that "the choice is between North Macedonia and North Korea."

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) state-run MIA news agency on Friday changed comments attributed to Prime Minister Zoran Zaev after an intervention by Athens.

The NATO chief was in Skopje on Thursday when he attended a military exercise together with Macedonian Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska, MIA agency said.

US President Donald Trump has described the name deal between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as a "historic" one that will boost security, stability and prosperity in the entire region.

Savvidi's group of companies issued a statement on Tuesday strongly denying claims that he gave hundreds of thousands of euros to Macedonian opponents of the country's proposed name change, including opposition politicians and football hooligans.

A resolution to this effect was passed in Thessaloniki on Wednesday during a meeting of the Regional Council of Central Macedonia attended by 258 local government representatives including mayors and councilors, as well as bishops and representatives of institutions, and universities.

"I hope that there will be progress with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because they have reached an agreement with Greece on the name issue," Stoltenberg told France 24, MIA agency is reporting.

The Parliament of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will ratify the deal reached with Greece on the name dispute on Wednesday, according to the country's MIA news agency.

The relevant draft bill will first be discussed at the European Affairs Committee before it is submitted to the Legislative Committee.

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.