TV Skai: Athens and Skopje have not yet iron their differences over the scope of usage of the new name

If the Macedonian, Greek Prime Ministers, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras respectively, agree in the next few days on a solution to the name issue in the key phone conversation and convene a meeting in Prespa to make it official, several phases would follow until the parliaments of two countries ratify the deal.

Part of Greek media, including TV Skai, published the steps to finalizing the possible name agreement. Namely, a completion of the negotiations of expert teams on technical, legal issues is to be followed by Zaev-Tsipras phone conversation, which according to the national Greek TV ERT should take place this Thursday or Friday.

TV Skai says Athens and Skopje have not yet iron their differences over the scope of usage of the new name, namely the ‘erga omnes’ principle, as well as the revision of Macedonia’s constitution.

The Zaev-Tsipras phone conversation would be vital point and determine the next steps.

After Prespa, where the name agreement should be signed, a several-phase process would follow:

PM Zaev is to put the document for voting at Macedonia’s Parliament, for which simple majority would be required.

After getting green light by Macedonian lawmakers, Greece will sent a letter to NATO notifying its approval for Macedonia’s to join the Alliance, conditioned with constitutional revision.

At the upcoming EU summit, scheduled for 28-29 June, Macedonia would officially get a date for opening the EU accession talks.

During the NATO Summit on 11-12 July Macedonia will get official membership invitation.

In September or October, Macedonia will call for a referendum on the new name.

Afterwards the Macedonian Parliament should approve constitutional revision with a two-third majority.

The next step is for the name agreement to be ratified by the Greek Parliament.

According to Greek media, the new name would be one of the three proposals of UN mediator Matthew Nimetz: ‘Republic New Macedonia’, ‘Republic Northern Macedonia’ and ‘Republic Upper Macedonia’.