Macedonia has lodged a lawsuit against Greece at the International Court of Justice in the Hague for blocking its NATO entry, news reaching here from Skopje reported on Monday.
"Macedonia has filed an application with the registrar of the Court to bring Greece into compliance with its legal obligations under the Interim Accord of September 13, 1995," Macedonia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Under the agreement signed by Greece and Macedonia in 1995, Macedonia changed its flag and its constitution, and both countries committed to continuing negotiations on the 'name' issue under UN auspices.
And Macedonia agreed to use the provisional name "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" in international organizations while Greece pledged not to block Macedonia's integration into the European Union and NATO.
But in early April at a NATO summit in Romania, Macedonia's NATO membership was blocked by Greece over a 17-year-long name dispute between the two neighbors.
Athens has been opposed to its northern neighbor being called the "Republic of Macedonia," arguing it implies a territorial claim over a Greek northern province also called Macedonia.
Greece insists that it would use its veto power again to block Macedonia's EU bid if its northern neighbor doesn't show compromise to find a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue.
In the statement, Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki said the legal move was made after serious consideration "for the sole purpose of protecting our rights under the Interim Accord."
"We have thought very carefully before bringing this case, but see no other way for justice to be done and our rights to be protected," Milososki said.
"We hope that this move will incite Greece to bring into accord its actions with the international legal obligations, and stimulate both sides to accomplish a final solution for the unsolved questions," he said.
Source:Xinhua
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