国际英语新闻:Romania supports Republic of North Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration: PM

BUCHAREST, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Romania constantly supports the Republic of North Macedonia for its Euro-Atlantic integration, Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Monday when meeting with visiting Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Bujar Osmani.

Osmani's visit to Romania, which holds the Presidency of the EU Council during the first semester of the current year, came after Macedonia's parliament had approved the constitutional amendments to change country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

It is a continuation of high-level contacts between the two countries after Dancila paid an official visit to Skopje last June, according to a Romanian government statement.

Dancila commended the ratification of the Prespa (or Prespes) Agreement by the parliaments of Macedonia and Greece.

Under the UN-brokered Prespa Agreement reached in June 2018, Macedonia's constitutional name would become "the Republic of North Macedonia".

Greece and Macedonia have been in dispute since 1991, when the former Yugoslav republic gained independence. Greece has objected to its neighbor's constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, fearing that the name indicates territorial ambitions over the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Greece's objection has impeded Skopje's bids to join NATO and the European Union.

Dancila "reiterated Romania's constant support for the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Republic of North Macedonia, voicing confidence that the Republic of North Macedonia, with the country's new constitutional name, will become the 30th member of the Alliance", the statement said.

For his part, Osmani said that Macedonia will start the negotiations for EU accession during Romania's presidency.