SKOPJE (Macedonia), October 15 (SeeNews) – Macedonia's parliament opened a debate on Monday on amendments to the constitution that would put into force a deal with neighbouring Greece to change the country's name, paving the way for its accession to NATO and the EU.
Ahead of the opening of the debate, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev noted that the country’s future now lies into the hands of each and every member of the assembly, news agency MIA reported.
Zaev earlier said that he would call early general election, if the parliament fails to change the constitution and thus endorse the agreement with Greece to rename the former Yugoslav country to North Macedonia.
A two-thirds majority in the 120-seat parliament is needed to push through the constitutional amendments that would ensure the endorsement of the agreement with Greece. Zaev's Social Democrat-led coalition government would need support from opposition lawmakers from conservative VMRO-DPMNE party to muster the necessary majority.
The parliament debate comes after a consultative referendum on the name deal with Greece held on September 30 fell short of the 50% turnout needed for the vote to be valid. The vote was largely boycotted by Macedonia's opposition parties and the country's president but those who voted overwhelmingly supported the agreement with Greece.
"Now you have to decide whether we gain a lot or we lose a lot," MIA quoted Zaev as saying to lawmakers.
Earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of the EU Donald Tusk encouraged Macedonian politicians to approve the name deal with Greece to open the way for their country to join the trans-Atlantic and European community.
Also, the European Commission called on Macedonian lawmakers to use the "historic opportunity not only for reconciliation in the region, but also for decisively moving the country forward on its European Union path.""
The name deal was signed on June 17 by the foreign ministers of Macedonia and Greece to put an end to a dispute that has blocked Macedonia's accession to the NATO and EU.
On July 11, NATO decided to officially invite Macedonia to start accession talks.
Athens has blocked Macedonia’s attempts to join NATO and the EU for 27 years over the country's name. According to Greece, the current name Republic of Macedonia implies territorial clams on the Greek northernmost province of the same name.