Greek lawmakers have ratified an agreement Friday for the country to drop its objections to neighboring Macedonia joining NATO if the small country's name is changed to North Macedonia.
An Orthodox monk waves a Greek national flag next to riot police during a demonstration in front of the parliament building in Athens, Greece, January 25, 2019. (Photo: VCG)
The deal faced fierce opposition and had already cost Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras his parliamentary majority. It passed Friday with the support of independent lawmakers.
The ratification vote came after three days of acrimonious debate on the deal, which aimed to end a nearly three decade-long dispute that has kept Macedonia from joining the western military alliance and the European Union.
Greece has long argued use of the term Macedonia implied territorial claims on its own northern province of the same name, and usurped its culture and ancient Greek history.
