Republic of North Macedonia internationally

Full-fledged membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in NATO and the European Union, as well as development and promotion of good neighborly relations and regional cooperation are strategic and long-term goals of the foreign policy of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The Republic of North Macedonia advocates and implements a policy of openness towards all, regional connectivity and increased cooperation between the countries.

Through its foreign policy – on bilateral, regional and multilateral level – the country actively promotes its national values and interests, ready to contribute to tackling regional challenges, as well as challenges of the globalized world.

The Republic of North Macedonia is a member of the United Nations since 1993. In the period 2014-2016, the Republic of North Macedonia was a member of the UN Human Rights Council. Former Foreign Minister Srgjan Kerim was President of the 62nd United Nations General Assembly in 2007.

The Republic of North Macedonia is a member of the Council of Europe since 1995.

From May to November 2010, the country chaired the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers for the first time.

The Republic of North Macedonia became a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1995.

In 2003, the Republic of North Macedonia became a member of the World Trade Organization.

The Republic of North Macedonia is a full member of the International Organization of la Francophonie since 2006. By decree of President Pendarovski, in December 2019, Ambassador Pajo Avirovic was appointed Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia to the Permanent Council of the International Organization of la Francophonie.

The Republic of North Macedonia is a candidate for membership in the European Union since 2005. Full diplomatic relations with the European Union were established in 1995. In 2001, the Stabilization and Association Agreement was signed. In 2004, the state submitted a request for membership in the European Union. After finalizing the answers to the European Commission’s Questionnaire on the application for membership in the European Union, the European Council granted the country the status of candidate for membership. Since 2009, the European Commission has been continuously recommending the launch of accession negotiations for membership. In March 2020, the European Council approved the decision of the Council of the European Union to open accession negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia. The holding of the first intergovernmental conference and the meeting for the opening of the screening, which took place in Brussels on July 19, 2022, marked the beginning of accession negotiations for the membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the European Union.

The Republic of North Macedonia became member of NATO in 2020. In 1993, the Assembly made a decision for the country to join the North-Atlantic Alliance. The Republic of North Macedonia joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1995, and in 1999 it launched the Membership Action Plan. On July 11, 2018, NATO invited the Republic of North Macedonia to start accession talks. Formally, the accession talks started on October 18, 2018. On February 6, 2019, the permanent representatives of the NATO member states signed the protocol for membership of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO. The Accession Protocol was ratified by all member states. On February 11, 2020, the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia adopted the Law on Ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty, and a day later President Pendarovski signed the decree declaring it. On March 20, 2020, President Pendarovski signed the Instrument for the Accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO. The Republic of North Macedonia is a member of NATO since March 27, 2020, after the instrument for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was deposited in Washington.

The Republic of North Macedonia is involved in numerous regional initiatives, such as the Central European Initiative, the South East European Cooperation Process, the Brdo-Brijuni Process, etc.

The Republic of North Macedonia contributes to world peace through participation in peacekeeping missions in ISAF Afghanistan, Freedom for Iraq, ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Resolute Support in Afghanistan, UNIFIL in Lebanon and Support for KFOR in Kosovo.

Prespa Agreement

On June 17, 2018, the Republic of North Macedonia and the Hellenic Republic signed the Final Agreement to resolve the differences described in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), terminating the validity of the Interim Accord of 1995 and establishing a strategic partnership between the parties.

With the Agreement, the difference over the name of our country was overcome and the Interim Accord between the Parties, which was signed in New York on September 13, 1995, ceased to apply.

According to the Agreement, the official name of our country is the Republic of North Macedonia, the citizenship is Macedonian/citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia, the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia is named as the Macedonian language. The Hellenic Republic agreed not to object to the membership requests or membership of our country in international, multilateral and regional organizations and institutions under the name Republic of North Macedonia.

The Agreement entered into force on February 12, 2019, after the Assembly adopted Amendments XXIIII, XXXIV, XXXV and XXXVI of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Constitutional Law on the Implementation of the Amendments from XXIII to XXXVI of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia.