Greece–Republic of Macedonia relations

US President Donald Trump congratulated Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for the ratification of the Prespes accord by the Greek Parliament that resolved the long-running name dispute with North Macedonia, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported on Wednesday.

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 National Assembly will vote today on the Protocol on the accession of northern Macedonia to NATO. This will happen in the presence of the chairman of the Northern Macedonian Parliament, Talat Xhaferi.

The fourth meeting of the Joint Multidisciplinary Commission of Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria on Historical and Educational Issues will be held today and tomorrow in Skopje, reported the Bulgarian National Television.

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.

Former foreign minister Nikos Kotzias has filed a lawsuit in the Greek Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) with weighty charges against former defence minister Panos Kammenos.

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. 

Macedonian Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi will attend the vote in the Bulgarian National Assembly on his country's NATO Accession Protocol, reported the Bulgarian National Television. 

On 15 February, the Parliamentary Defense Committee approved the Protocol. Voting is expected to take place on Wednesday - 20 February.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that she had given up hope that Athens and Skopje could ever find a solution to the decades-old name dispute, before congratulating the two prime ministers for reaching a settlement.

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.