The Greek embassy in Washington has made a formal diplomatic intervention after Melania Trump referred to North Macedonia as “Macedonia” during a recent international event, according to diplomatic sources.
The remark was made at the “Fostering the Future Together” summit, which brought together representatives from dozens of countries and major technology firms. Greek officials said the wording was inconsistent with the terms of the Prespa Agreement, which settled a decades-long dispute between Athens and Skopje over the country’s name.
Under the 2018 accord, the country’s official name is “Republic of North Macedonia,” and the erga omnes principle requires that name to be used in all international and domestic contexts. Greece had long argued that the use of “Macedonia” alone implied territorial and historical claims over its own northern region of the same name.
Greek diplomats contacted relevant U.S. authorities to ensure that official records and future communications reflect the agreed terminology. The embassy stressed that the omission of “North” is not merely a linguistic oversight but a deviation from a binding international agreement.
“The use of ‘Macedonia’ to refer to the sovereign state in Skopje not only ignores international treaties but also creates confusion regarding the cultural and historical identity of the Greek region of Macedonia,” diplomatic sources said.
A decades-long dispute
The naming issue dates back to the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, when the newly independent state adopted the name “Republic of Macedonia.” Greece objected, arguing the name implied historical and territorial claims linked to ancient Macedonia, including figures such as Alexander the Great.
The dispute blocked the country’s path to NATO and European Union membership for years. It was provisionally referred to as the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (FYROM) in many international organizations.
The Prespa Agreement, signed in June 2018 between Greece and what is now North Macedonia, resolved the dispute. Skopje agreed to change its constitutional name to “Republic of North Macedonia,” while Greece lifted its veto on the country’s NATO accession, which was completed in 2020.
Continued sensitivities
Despite the agreement, the issue remains politically sensitive in Greece, where officials closely monitor international usage of the country’s name. Athens has repeatedly intervened when foreign officials, media or institutions omit the “North” qualifier.
The latest incident underscores how even minor deviations in terminology can trigger diplomatic responses, reflecting the enduring importance of the agreement in maintaining regional stability and clarifying national identities in the Balkans.