Historic moment: Macedonia and Greece signed the agreement about the name (PHOTO) (VIDEO)

Greece and Macedonia signed an agreement on the new name of the Former Yugoslav Republic - Republic of Northern Macedonia.

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The agreement on resolving the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece and the strategic partnership between the two countries was signed yesterday in Psarades on the Greek coast of Prespa Lake by the prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn at the invitation of the prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia, Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev.

Athens and Skopje, after two and a half decades, reached a historic agreement that the Republic of Northern Macedonia will be the new name of the Former Yugoslav republic.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

The agreement on resolving the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece and the strategic partnership between the two countries was signed yesterday in Psarades on the Greek coast of Prespa Lake by the heads of diplomacy Nicos Kocias and Dimitrov, in the presence of Prime Ministers of two countries Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev.

UN mediator Matthew Nimetz also attended the meeting, as well as UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Rozmari di Carlo, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn.

As foreseen, the delegations of Greece and Macedonia will, after signing the agreement, move on the Macedonian side of the Prespa Lake to the Macedonian side of the Lake of Oteshevo, where Zaev and Cyprus will have an official meeting, and then two delegations will meet, followed by a joint lunch.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

ZORAN ZAEV ON AGREEMENT 

Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, speaking at the signing ceremony of a deal with Greece on the name dispute, said the country is proud to have chosen a "unifying solution".

- We are proud of this agreement. We are proud because we united around the solution to the dispute that has divided us and that we have chosen a solution that unites us. By signing the final agreement on resolving the name issue and the strategic partnership of our two countries - we moved the mountains - Zaev.

He added that this ceremonial act "is an expression of commitment to finding a solution that is in the interest of the future and citizens of the two countries."

- We learned that we should learn from history, not repeat it. On the foundations of the past, we are building the future - concluded the Macedonian Prime Minister.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

TSIPRAS ABOUT THE HISTORICAL MEETING 

Alexis Tsipras, who went to the Macedonian side of the Prespa lake after the signing of the agreement, is the first Greek Prime Minister for visited Macedonia, reports ANA.

Today, here on Prespa lake, we are starting to write a new happy song, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said at the ceremony of signing the agreement with Macedonia. 

He revealed that he loves Balkan Music in his speech.

- The time has come to sing the happy songs on Balkans again, and this is a first bold step towards it. We are starting to write such song here in Prespa. Our goal is for many future generations to sing this song, in our and your language, in our and your country, our and your people... The song that will celebrate peace - Tsipras said.

He marked the meeting in Prespa as a "historic meeting".  

Foto: AP/Tanjug

- We are meeting here today facing the history of our peoples. We are meeting here today to do our patriotic duty - the Greek prime minister said.

Tsipras noted that the speech was diplomatic and he invited the citizens of both countries to accept it without prejudice. 

He mentioned that the first meeting with Zaev was six months ago in snow-covered Davos where, according to him, was very cold, "like the cold that was between the two countries for the past 25 years".

FEDERICA MOGHERINI AND JOHANNES HAHN 

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations assessed after the signing of the Agreement on the solution of the Macedonian-Greek name dispute and strategic partnership that "this is a historic day" for the two countries.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

-  Many were skeptical that there will be an agreement, and our two prime minister and the foreign ministers were persistent in achieving it. The two sides made us Europeans proud of the "win-win" solution they have signed. I hope that this will be an inspiration to take bold steps to many in the region, as well as to entire Europe. This agreement showed to Europe and the world that every problem can be solved with dialogue and leadership - Mogherini said.

She added that the EU will monitor the application of the agreement.

Hahn said that "it took a lot of time and a lot of work to achieve what we did today". 

- This is a historic day and the possibility for all citizens of Northern Macedonia to get positive answers for Euro-Atlantic integrations. At the end of the day, everybody will see that this agreement is a good compromise where everybody gets something - Hahn said.

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(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)