Foreign relations of North Macedonia
The foreign relations of North Macedonia since its independence in 1991 have been characterized by the country's efforts to gain membership in international organizations such as NATO and the European Union and to gain international recognition under its previous constitutional name, overshadowed by a long-standing, dead-locked dispute with neighboring Greece.
Greek objections to the country's name had led to it being admitted to the United Nations and several other international fora only under the provisional designation Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until its official and erga omnes renaming to North Macedonia, a name under which it is now universally recognised.
North Macedonia became a member state of the United Nations on April 8, 1993, eighteen months after its independence from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
It was referred within the UN as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", pending a resolution, to the long-running dispute about the country's name.
[25] The United States formally recognized North Macedonia on February 8, 1994, and the two countries established full diplomatic relations on September 13, 1995.
[34] Notwithstanding the above, North Macedonia and the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC) established diplomatic relations on January 27, 1999.
The PRC was opposed to this and in retaliation vetoed the UN resolution renewing the mandate of the UNPREDEP (a peacekeeping force) in North Macedonia.
[38] Due to historical and cultural mutualities and human bonds North Macedonia and Turkey have very close and friendly relations.
North Macedonia sent €100,000 in financial aid,[47] drones with thermal cameras, rescue teams and mechanical equipment for relief operations.
[50] The governments of Bulgaria and North Macedonia signed a friendship treaty to bolster the relations between the two Balkan states in August 2017.
Until the Prespa Agreement (2019), the indeterminate status of North Macedonia's former name arose from a long-running dispute with Greece.
The main points of the dispute were:[57] The naming issue was "parked" in a compromise agreed at the United Nations in 1993.
However, Greece refused to grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic and imposed an economic blockade that lasted until the flag and constitutional issues were resolved in 1995.
In October 2008, North Macedonia recognized Kosovo as an independent state with plan to establish diplomatic relations.
[41] Slovenia supports North Macedonia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, its Euro-integration and visa liberalisation.
[70] In January 2009, the Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski announced, that he expects more Slovenian investments in infrastructure and energy projects.
Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, the International Criminal Court, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
[80] Within six months following the entry into force of this Agreement, the Second Party [i.e. North Macedonia] shall review the status of monuments, public buildings and infrastructures on its territory, and insofar as they refer in any way to ancient Hellenic history and civilization constituting an integral component of the historic or cultural patrimony of the First Party, shall take appropriate corrective action to effectively address the issue and ensure respect for the said patrimony.—Article 8, paragraph 2 of the Prespa agreementThe Second Party [i.e. North Macedonia] shall not use again in any way and in all its forms the symbol formerly displayed on its former national flag [i.e. the Vergina Sun].
Archaeological artefacts do not fall within the scope of this provision.—Article 8, paragraph 3 of the Prespa agreementNorth Macedonia's first post-independence constitution, adopted on November 17, 1991 included a number of clauses that Greece interpreted as promoting secessionist sentiment among the Slavophone population of northern Greece, and making irredentist claims on Greek territory.
The Greek prime minister at the time, Constantine Mitsotakis, later commented that The offending articles were removed under the 1995 agreement between the two sides.
