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1 1 (February 19, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govygg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Macedonia Changes Name, Moves Closer to NATO Membership Updated February 19, 2019 On February 12, 2019, Macedonia formally changed its name to become the Republic of North Macedonia. The name change resolves a long-standing dispute with Greece and is expected to clear the path for North Macedonia to become NATO's 30th member. U.S. and European Union (EU) officials believe NATO enlargement to the Western Balkans could help stabilize the region and counter Russian influence. Many Members of Congress have long supported Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration. Prespa Agreement with Greece North Macedonia's NATO membership bid was delayed due to a nearly three-decade bilateral dispute with neighboring Greece over Macedonia's name. The dispute stems from Macedonia's 1991 declaration of independence from Yugoslavia as the Republic of Macedonia. From Greece's perspective, the new republic's use of the name Macedonia implied territorial ambitions toward Greece's northern province of Macedonia and a broader claim to ancient Macedonia's cultural heritage. In response, Greece wielded its veto power to block Macedonia's pursuit of NATO and EU membership despite generally positive assessments of Macedonia's qualifications. In 2017, newly elected Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev took office pledging to redouble efforts to resolve the country's bilateral dispute with Greece and further its overarching goal of Euro-Atlantic integration. In June 2018, Greece and Macedonia signed the Prespa Agreement, whereby Macedonia would change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia, Greece would no longer block Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration, and both countries would promise to respect existing borders. The Prespa Agreement's enactment was far from certain. It required legislative action in the Greek and Macedonian parliaments, where both governments faced sharp challenges from nationalist opponents. To the surprise of some observers, in January 2019, the Macedonian and Greek governments were successful, albeit with slim vote margins. Prime Minister Zaev and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expended political capital in the process: Zaev's government accepted a controversial amnesty of some opposition lawmakers to secure their legislative support for the Prespa Agreement, and Tsipras narrowly survived a no-confidence vote. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN10977 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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