Talks restart on Macedonia’s referendum about new name deal

SKOPJE, Macedonia – The leaders of Macedonia’s four main political parties have resumed talks about a planned referendum on a controversial name deal with neighbouring Greece that would allow the former Yugoslav republic to join NATO.

The country’s Social Democrat government reached a deal with NATO and European Union member Greece last month to rename the country North Macedonia and end a long-standing dispute between two countries linked to the Macedonian region’s ancient Greek heritage.

The opposition conservatives in Macedonia have described the proposed deal as a “national capitulation” and walked out of talks last week, bringing the negotiations to the brink of collapse.

Talks between the parties resumed Monday but no date has been set yet for the referendum that the government wants to hold in the fall.