June 26 (SeeNews) - Macedonia's president Gjorge Ivanov said on Tuesday he is refusing to sign into law the ratification of the agreement with Greece on resolving the 27-year old dispute between Skopje and Athens over the name of the former Yugoslav republic.
The ratification of the agreement by the Macedonian parliament was not carried out in accordance with the constitution, Gjorge Ivanov said in a statement.
The agreement envisaging to change the country's name to to North Macedonia was ratified on June 20.
The name deal also goes beyond United Nations Security Council resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), which define "a difference" over the name of Macedonia, while the agreement speaks of "differences", according to Ivanov.
In addition, the agreement puts Macedonia into a position of subordination and dependence in its relations with Greece, Ivanov stated.
Ivanov also claimed he has no mandate to sign the agreement, as in his election campaign he clearly stated he does not support changes in the constitution regarding the country's name.
The deal was signed on June 17 by the foreign ministers of Macedonia and Greece Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias, paving the way for the former Yugoslav republic to join NATO and the European Union under its new name of North Macedonia. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Zaev, Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and senior representatives of the European Commission.
Athens has blocked Macedonia’s attempts to join NATO and the EU over the country's name, which according to Greece allegedly implies territorial clams on the Greek northernmost province of the same name.