The protocol was backed by 153 lawmakers in the 300-seat legislative body, with 140 lawmakers voting against it and one lawmaker abstaining from the vote.
With the completion of the ratification process of the NATO accession protocol by all 29 NATO member states, the Republic of Macedonia, which has been recently renamed to the Republic of Northern Macedonia, will become a fully-fledged member of NATO with the right to vote on all decisions of the Alliance.
READ MORE: Author Decries Macedonia Signing NATO Accession Protocol
Until June 2018, the name dispute had prevented Macedonia from pursuing membership in NATO and the European Union. Skopje and Athens agreed on a new name, the Republic of North Macedonia. The deal, however, resulted in mass rallies in both countries, with at least 60,000 Macedonians protesting the name change in January.
