Zoran Zaev

A total of 3,480 polling stations opened at 7am on Sunday for Macedonia's local elections, in which some 1.8 million voters will have the right to choose mayors and local councils in 80 municipalities plus the capital, Skopje.

Voters will choose between a total of 260 mayoral candidates for the 81 municipalities until 7pm Sunday, when polling stations close.

Macedonia's new centre-left government, which assumed office in May, plans to pardon all convicts serving jail sentences of less than six months - and cut the jail terms of prisoners serving for less than five years by 30 per cent.

More than 100 people gathered in front of FYROM's (Macedonia's) parliament to protest against a draft law to extend the official use of Albanian language to the entire country, as lawmakers started debating the bill.

The September 13 protest in Skopje was organized by the nationalist organization Tvrdokorni (Hard-core), the World Macedonian Congress, and several other groups.

Macedonia's new government on Wednesday completed its first 100 days in office, which Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said he considered a success both in terms of domestic and foreign policy.

The opposition, however, said Zaev's new Social Democrat-led government was responsible only for "cancelled projects, economic downfall, borrowing, reckless and superficial moves".

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said a major step has been taken on resolution of the dispute with Greece on the name of Macedonia, France press reported.

The two recent meetings of foreign ministers of both countries in Athens and Skopje helped to establish friendly relations. "This is not a solution, but a big step was taken," the prime minister told Skopje.

FYROM (Macedonia) hailed a "big step" towards resolving a quarter-century-old dispute with neighbour Greece on Tuesday over its name that has seen it blocked from NATO and European Union membership talks.

Two recent meetings between foreign ministers of the two countries in Athens and Skopje managed to "create friendly ties", Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told reporters.

FYROM (Macedonia) Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Serbian Ambassador Dusanka Divjak-Tomic assessed Friday that there was "sincere friendship between the two countries."

Zaev met with the ambassador after her return to Skopje, after Serbia withdrew for consultations the entire staff of its embassy on August 20.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Serbian Ambassador Dusanka Divjak-Tomic assessed Friday that there was "sincere friendship between the two countries."

Zaev met with the ambassador after her return to Skopje, after Serbia withdrew for consultations the entire staff of its embassy on August 20.

The Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) told Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on a day-visit to Skopje to “recognize the new reality” in the country and support its bid to join the European Union and NATO. Such a move would require overcoming the dispute row over the country’s name.

Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias will meet on Thursday (31 August) with politicians in Skopje in order to build up further trust between the two countries. But it’s still “early” for a discussion about the name dispute.