President Gorge Ivanov of Macedonia has called on his fellow citizens to boycott an upcoming vote on a referendum to change the country’s name amid an ongoing dispute with Greece over the historical origins of its current name.
Ivanov stated he would abstain from voting, saying the agreement with Greece to change the name is “harmful and defeating” for Macedonia, according to a statement his office released Sunday.
Ivanov made the remarks on Saturday while speaking to members of the Macedonian diaspora community in Detroit, Michigan.
Greece and Macedonia signed a historic preliminary agreement in June to rename the small Balkan nation the Republic of North Macedonia, ending a row that has poisoned relations between the two neighbors since 1991.
Athens has for several decades objected to its neighbor being called Macedonia because it has its own northern province of the same name, which in ancient times was the cradle of Alexander the Great’s empire — a source of intense pride for modern-day Greeks.
“This is a brave, historic and necessary step for our peoples,” said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
“We are here to heal the wounds of time, to open a path for peace, fraternisation and growth for our countries, the Balkans and Europe,” he said.
“Our two countries should step out of the past and look to the future,” said Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
“By signing the agreement… we have really moved mountains.”
The accord aims to start unravelling one of the world’s longest diplomatic disputes, which began 27 years ago with Macedonia’s declaration of independence but dates back centuries.
Ivanov, following the historic meeting of the two premiers, said he planned to exercise a one-time veto option to block the deal that the nationalist opposition has called a “capitulation”.
The accord still needs to pass a referendum after being approved by Macedonia’s parliament in July. The constitution must also be revised by the end of the year, before Greece’s parliament is called to ratify it.
