Macedonia ’ s President Gjorge Ivanov on Tuesday refused to sign an agreement on changing the country’ s name to resolve a dispute with Greece , calling it a “ criminal act ” that violated the constitution.
This month the foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia agreed to rename the tiny ex - Yugoslav republic the “Republic of North Macedonia ” , resolving a decades- old dispute that had blocked Macedonia ’ s entry into the EU and NATO .
Macedonia ’ s parliament ratified the agreement recently .
But in a statement quoted by the state - run agency MIA, Ivanov said he had no mandate to sign the agreement , which violated the constitution of Macedonia , and made Macedonia dependent on a third party .
The president’ s refusal to sign is unlikely to block the agreement by itself: parliament is expected to override his veto with a simple majority in a second vote .
However , Ivanov ’ s strong words were a sign of the high political stakes in an issue that arouses passion for both Macedonians and Greeks .
It could signal difficulty ahead for the government , which must still amend the constitution and has pledged to put the name change to voters in a referendum .
“ Implementation of this agreement will have legal implications and therefore it represents a criminal act, ’’ Ivanov said .
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said he would resign if the agreement failed to get support in the promised referendum .
“ Macedonia has no plan B , ” Zaev told newsmen .
Macedonia ’ s name has led to a dispute with Greece since Macedonia became independent with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990 s.
A Greek province is also called Macedonia , and many Greeks consider the name to be a claim to their territory.
Greece has blocked Macedonia from joining the EU or NATO , while required it to enter the UN as “ The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’’ .
Nationalists in both Greece and Macedonia remain opposed to the deal, which must also be approved by the Greek parliament .
(NAN)
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