Prespa Agreement

The Prespa Agreement, also known as the Treaty of Prespa, the Prespes deal or the Prespa accord, is an agreement reached in 2018 between Greece and the then-Republic of Macedonia, under the auspices of the United Nations, resolving a long-standing naming dispute between the two countries. Apart from resolving the terminological differences, the agreement also covers areas of cooperation between the two countries in order to establish a strategic partnership.

Signed beside the shared Lake Prespa, from which it took its name, and ratified by the parliaments of both countries, the agreement went into force on 12 February 2019, when the two countries notified the UN of the deal's completion, following the ratification of the NATO accession protocol for North Macedonia on 8 February. It replaces the Interim Accord of 1995 and sees the Republic of Macedonia's constitutional name changed to the Republic of North Macedonia erga omnes.

Name of the agreement

The Prespa Agreement is the short, informal name for the agreement, named after the place where it was signed, Lake Prespa. Its full name is Final Agreement for the settlement of the differences as described in the United Nations Security Council resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the termination of the Interim Accord of 1995, and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the Parties.

Greek: Τελική συμφωνία για την επίλυση των διαφορών, όπως περιγράφονται στις αποφάσεις του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών 817 (1993) και 845 (1993), τη λήξη της Ενδιάμεσης Συμφωνίας του 1995, και την εδραίωση στρατηγικής εταιρικής σχέσης μεταξύ των μερών, romanized: Telikí symfonía gia tin epílysi ton diaforón, ópos perigráfontai stis apofáseis tou Symvoulíou Asfaleías ton Inoménon Ethnón 817 (1993) kai 845 (1993), ti líxi tis Endiámesis Symfonías tou 1995, kai tin edraíosi stratigikís etairikís schésis metaxý ton merón

Macedonian: Конечна спогодба за решавање на разликите како што е опишано во резолуциите 817 (1993) и 845 (1993) на Советот за безбедност на Обединетите нации, раскинување на Времената спогодба од 1995 година и воспоставување на стратешко партнерство меѓу Страните, romanized: Konečna spogodba za rešavanje na razlikite kako što e opišano vo rezoluciite 817 (1993) i 845 (1993) na Sovetot za bezbednost na Obedinetite nacii, raskinuvanje na Vremenata spogodba od 1995 godina i vospostavuvanje na strateško partnerstvo meǵu Stranite

Background

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, use of the name "Macedonia" was disputed between the Southeastern European countries of Greece and the then-Republic of Macedonia. The dispute arose from the ambiguity in nomenclature between the former Yugoslav republic, the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia, and the ancient kingdom of Macedon. Citing historical and irredentist concerns, Greece opposed the use of the name "Macedonia" by the Republic of Macedonia without a geographical qualifier like "Northern" or "Upper" for use "by all... and for all purposes".