UN Secretary-General Guterres welcomes the Prespa Agreement entry into force

Skopje and Athens sent Tuesday a joint letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres notifying on the date of entry into force of the Final Agreement for the settlement of the differences as described in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the termination of the Interim Accord of 1995, and the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the Parties.

“Guterres on Tuesday received official notification of the entry into force of the Prespa Agreement, which, among other things, expresses the agreement by the parties to the name “Republic of North Macedonia,” said Guterres’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, in a statement on Wednesday.

“Guterres welcomes this development, which settles the long-standing dispute between Athens and Skopje and demonstrates that even seemingly intractable issues can be resolved through dialogue and political will,” said the statement.

The Secretary-General congratulates the two countries and Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev on their determination in creating a forward-looking vision for relations between the two countries and reconciliation in the Balkan region and beyond. He is deeply grateful to his Personal Envoy, Matthew Nimetz, for his unwavering commitment and dedication in facilitating the negotiations.

Guterres calls on Member States, regional organizations and all international partners to support the historical steps that the parties have taken, the statement said.