SKOPJE: Macedonia’s parliament on Monday set September 30 as the date for a referendum on changing the country’s name to the Republic of North Macedonia, a high-stakes vote aimed at resolving the Balkan nation’s long-running row with Greece and opening the door to its entry into NATO and the EU.

Skopje and Athens signed a landmark agreement in June to rename the country in an effort to break a stalemate that has poisoned their relations since 1991 and hobbled Macedonia’s integration with the West. Greece has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has its own province of the same name, accusing Skopje of territorial ambitions.—AFP