BRUSSELS 

Following a historic name-change deal, Macedonia is moving into the ranks of NATO.

At its Brussels headquarters, NATO on Wednesday signed a protocol for Macedonia’s accession to the military pact.

The protocol was signed by NATO’s 29 member states as well as Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov on behalf of Macedonia.

The ceremony was presided over by Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary general.

Last week, Greece’s parliament ratified a historic deal to end a 28-year dispute over its neighbor Macedonia’s name, paving the way for the Balkan country to join NATO and the EU.

Under the deal, Macedonia will be renamed “the Republic of North Macedonia” and Greece will drop its objections to the country joining the EU and NATO.

The name issue has kept Macedonia from joining the EU and NATO since its independence in 1991.

NATO invited Macedonia to begin accession talks to join the alliance at a Brussels summit last July.

Reporting by Yusuf Hatip:Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev