FYROM lawmaker thanks Tsipras over name deal
A lawmaker from the ruling party in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on Tuesday thanked Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras over the name change deal signed between the two Balkan neighbors in June.
“There can be no better agreement than this one,” Samka Ibraimovski said during a parliament debate on the constitutional amendments that are part of the agreement. “Thank you Tsipras, thank you Greece,” he said using the Greek word efharisto (thank you).
FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's left-led coalition is struggling to get two-thirds of parliament's 120 lawmakers to launch the amendment process, which would take weeks to complete.
Addressing lawmakers Monday, Zaev said the deal was too good an opportunity for his country to miss, as it would lead to Greece lifting its objections to the country’s NATO and EU membership.
