With a qualified two-thirds majority – 80 out of a total of 120 MPs – parliament in Skopje voted the amendments to the constitution that will allow the country to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

The name change, put down in writing in the Prespa Agreement with Greece in June this year, should be given the official start to within two weeks. Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva stated that the decision by the parliament in Skopje opens the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration for Macedonia, gives all citizens of the region the chance to prosper, and that Bulgaria will continue to be the most sincere and close friend in this process.

In a message of congratulations to his counterpart Zoran Zaev, the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras points out that the decision by the parliament of Macedonia is “a big step towards our common success” and “a very important step to a peaceful and prosperous future for our people.”

“Happy birthday to the Republic of North Macedonia,” wrote Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama in Twitter.

The President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to government and people of Macedonia  for huge leap forward in NATO and EU integration with the parliamentary vote. Kosovo and the region will be safer and more prosperous with Skopje and Athens paving the way forward."

On behalf of the EU, European enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn wrote: “I congratulate all those who decided to walk on along the EU path. I expect that the free choice of all MPs is fully respected, especially of those who crossed the aisle tonight.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed the vote by the parliament in Skopje on the proposed constitutional changes. “It's up to the government and political leaders to complete national procedures on the name agreement and seize this historic opportunity to bring the country into NATO,” he wrote.