Relationship dossier
Greece
North Macedonia
Relationship assessment
A landmark name settlement and NATO accession cooperation improved relations, while implementation remains politically sensitive.
Greece toward North Macedonia
+35Greece concluded the Prespa Agreement with North Macedonia in 2018, settling the name dispute through the adoption of “Republic of North Macedonia” for official use. Greece ratified North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol in 2019, enabling its accession.
North Macedonia toward Greece
+35North Macedonia concluded the Prespa Agreement with Greece in 2018 and changed its constitutional name to “Republic of North Macedonia,” implementing a central condition of the settlement. It joined NATO in 2020 after Greece ratified the accession protocol.
Overall relationship
+35The Prespa Agreement ended a major bilateral dispute and enabled North Macedonia’s NATO accession, creating a durable framework for improved relations. Political disagreements over implementation and identity-related issues continue to complicate that framework.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Greece and North Macedonia transformed a prolonged dispute over North Macedonia’s name through the 2018 Prespa Agreement. Greece ratified North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol, and North Macedonia joined NATO in 2020. The agreement created a basis for improved bilateral relations, though its implementation and related identity issues have remained politically sensitive.
Areas of tension
- Implementation of the Prespa Agreement, including use of North Macedonia’s agreed name in public and official contexts.
- Historical, national identity, and language-related disputes associated with the name controversy.
Key developments
Greece and North Macedonia signed the Prespa Agreement, setting out the settlement of the name dispute and the name “Republic of North Macedonia.”
Greece ratified North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol.
North Macedonia became a NATO member.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and consistency of implementation of the Prespa Agreement remain politically contested.
- The scope of current bilateral cooperation beyond the NATO and Prespa frameworks is unclear.