# Foreign relations of North Macedonia

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
The foreign relations of North Macedonia since its independence in 1991 have been characterized by the country's efforts to gain membership in international organizations such as NATO and the European Union and to gain international recognition under its previous constitutional name, overshadowed by a long-standing, dead-locked dispute with neighboring Greece. Greek objections to the country's name had led to it being admitted to the United Nations and several other international fora only under the provisional designation Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until its official and erga omnes renaming to North Macedonia, a name under which it is now universally recognised.

## Diplomatic relations

North Macedonia became a member state of the United Nations on April 8, 1993, eighteen months after its independence from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was referred within the UN as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", pending a resolution, to the long-running dispute about the country's name. Unusually, the country's flag was not raised at UN Headquarters when the state joined the UN. It was not until after the country's flag was changed that it was raised at the UN Headquarters. Other international bodies, such as the European Union, European Broadcasting Union, and the International Olympic Committee had adopted the same naming convention. NATO also used that name in official documents but added an explanation on which member countries recognise the constitutional name. A number of countries recognised the country by its former constitutional name – the Republic of Macedonia – rather than the UN reference, notably four of the five permanent UN Security Council members (the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and Russia). All UN member states currently recognise North Macedonia as a sovereign state.

### List of countries

List of countries which North Macedonia maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | Slovenia | 17 March 1992 |
| 2 | Croatia | 30 March 1992 |
| 3 | Turkey | 26 August 1992 |
| 4 | Belarus | 20 January 1993 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 8 April 1993 |
| 6 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12 May 1993 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 12 May 1993 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 25 May 1993 |
| 9 | Malaysia | 22 July 1993 |
| 10 | China | 12 October 1993 |
| 11 | North Korea | 2 November 1993 |
| 12 | Angola | 10 November 1993 |
| 13 | Denmark | 16 December 1993 |
| 14 | Germany | 16 December 1993 |
| 15 | Italy | 16 December 1993 |
| 16 | Netherlands | 16 December 1993 |
| 17 | United Kingdom | 16 December 1993 |
| 18 | Norway | 20 December 1993 |
| 19 | Sweden | 20 December 1993 |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 22 December 1993 |
| 21 | Albania | 24 December 1993 |
| 22 | Finland | 27 December 1993 |
| 23 | France | 27 December 1993 |
| 24 | Iceland | 29 December 1993 |
| 25 | Poland | 30 December 1993 |
| 26 | Liechtenstein | 31 December 1993 |
| 27 | Russia | 31 December 1993 |
| 28 | Switzerland | 31 December 1993 |
| 29 | Belgium | 14 February 1994 |
| 30 | Japan | 1 March 1994 |
| 31 | Czech Republic | 2 March 1994 |
| 32 | Slovakia | 4 March 1994 |
| 33 | Kyrgyzstan | 6 June 1994 |
| 34 | Vietnam | 10 June 1994 |
| 35 | Bolivia | 15 June 1994 |
| 36 | Spain | 20 July 1994 |
| 37 | Hungary | 29 August 1994 |
| 38 | Luxembourg | 19 September 1994 |
| 39 | Egypt | 14 November 1994 |
| 40 | Portugal | 15 November 1994 |
| 41 | Ireland | 13 December 1994 |
| — | Holy See | 21 December 1994 |
| 42 | Austria | 23 December 1994 |
| 43 | Uzbekistan | 31 December 1994 |
| 44 | Romania | 11 January 1995 |
| 45 | Saudi Arabia | 11 January 1995 |
| 46 | Moldova | 27 January 1995 |
| 47 | India | 9 February 1995 |
| 48 | Antigua and Barbuda | 21 February 1995 |
| 50 | Estonia | 10 March 1995 |
| 49 | Iran | 10 March 1995 |
| 51 | Libya | 14 April 1995 |
| 52 | Ukraine | 20 April 1995 |
| 53 | Singapore | 8 May 1995 |
| 54 | Kazakhstan | 1 June 1995 |
| 55 | Mongolia | 27 June 1995 |
| 56 | Azerbaijan | 28 June 1995 |
| 57 | Lithuania | 17 July 1995 |
| 58 | United States | 13 September 1995 |
| 59 | Greece | 13 October 1995 |
| 60 | Australia | 20 October 1995 |
| 61 | Israel | 7 December 1995 |
| 62 | Oman | 28 December 1995 |
| 63 | Tajikistan | 4 January 1996 |
| 64 | Belize | 25 January 1996 |
| 65 | Ghana | 7 February 1996 |
| 66 | Latvia | 13 February 1996 |
| 67 | Bangladesh | 14 February 1996 |
| 68 | Laos | 6 March 1996 |
| 69 | Nicaragua | 28 March 1996 |
| 70 | Serbia | 8 April 1996 |
| 71 | Rwanda | 18 April 1996 |
| 72 | Honduras | 25 April 1996 |
| 73 | Sudan | 26 April 1996 |
| 74 | United Arab Emirates | 27 May 1996 |
| 75 | Turkmenistan | 21 June 1996 |
| 76 | Qatar | 26 June 1996 |
| 77 | Canada | 4 July 1996 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 12 July 1996 |
| 78 | Afghanistan | 17 July 1996 |
| 79 | Bahrain | 11 September 1996 |
| 80 | Costa Rica | 15 October 1996 |
| 81 | Dominica | 18 October 1996 |
| 82 | El Salvador | 28 October 1996 |
| 83 | Cambodia | 29 October 1996 |
| 84 | Tanzania | 22 January 1997 |
| 85 | Mozambique | 28 February 1997 |
| 86 | Djibouti | 12 June 1997 |
| 87 | Kuwait | 16 June 1997 |
| 88 | Guinea | 28 November 1997 |
| 89 | Nepal | 7 January 1998 |
| 90 | Zambia | 30 March 1998 |
| 91 | Sri Lanka | 10 April 1998 |
| 92 | Togo | 14 April 1998 |
| 93 | Sierra Leone | 17 July 1998 |
| 94 | Lesotho | 3 September 1998 |
| 95 | Gambia | 29 September 1998 |
| 96 | Yemen | 6 October 1998 |
| 97 | Brazil | 14 September 1998 |
| 98 | Argentina | 24 September 1999 |
| 99 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 27 September 1999 |
| 100 | Malawi | 27 September 1999 |
| 101 | Chad | 13 October 1999 |
| 102 | Burundi | 7 February 2000 |
| 103 | Cuba | 5 May 2000 |
| 104 | Colombia | 22 June 2000 |
| 105 | Ecuador | 22 June 2000 |
| 106 | Comoros | 29 June 2000 |
| 107 | Guinea-Bissau | 29 June 2000 |
| 108 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 11 July 2000 |
| 109 | Ethiopia | 17 July 2000 |
| 110 | Uganda | 26 July 2000 |
| 111 | Saint Lucia | 24 August 2000 |
| 112 | Eritrea | 13 September 2000 |
| 113 | Ivory Coast | 14 September 2000 |
| 114 | Jordan | 15 September 2000 |
| 115 | Dominican Republic | 18 September 2000 |
| 116 | Gabon | 13 November 2000 |
| 117 | Maldives | 13 November 2000 |
| 118 | Niger | 15 November 2000 |
| 119 | Seychelles | 7 February 2001 |
| 120 | Mauritius | 7 February 2001 |
| 121 | Republic of the Congo | 7 February 2001 |
| 122 | Cameroon | 6 April 2001 |
| 123 | Haiti | 11 April 2001 |
| 124 | Mexico | 4 October 2001 |
| 125 | Guatemala | 16 November 2001 |
| 126 | Vanuatu | 16 November 2001 |
| 127 | Algeria | 21 March 2002 |
| 128 | Panama | 18 April 2002 |
| 129 | Venezuela | 18 April 2002 |
| 130 | Uruguay | 17 May 2002 |
| 131 | Equatorial Guinea | 9 July 2002 |
| 132 | Morocco | 18 September 2002 |
| 133 | Madagascar | 18 October 2002 |
| 134 | Senegal | 20 October 2002 |
| 135 | Central African Republic | 20 October 2002 |
| 136 | Marshall Islands | 19 March 2003 |
| 137 | Timor-Leste | 25 March 2003 |
| 138 | Jamaica | 1 April 2003 |
| 139 | Nigeria | 24 April 2003 |
| 140 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 15 May 2003 |
| 141 | Myanmar | 9 July 2003 |
| 142 | Guyana | 22 September 2003 |
| 143 | Benin | 26 September 2004 |
| 144 | Burkina Faso | 27 November 2004 |
| 145 | Federated States of Micronesia | 30 November 2004 |
| 146 | Nauru | 2 December 2004 |
| 147 | Cape Verde | 10 December 2004 |
| 148 | Thailand | 23 January 2005 |
| 149 | Somalia | 17 February 2005 |
| 150 | Mauritania | 23 March 2005 |
| 151 | Iraq | 10 June 2005 |
| 152 | Peru | 29 June 2005 |
| 153 | Samoa | 18 August 2005 |
| 154 | Kenya | 1 February 2006 |
| 155 | Montenegro | 14 June 2006 |
| 156 | Suriname | 12 April 2007 |
| 157 | Eswatini | 6 July 2007 |
| 158 | Brunei | 1 August 2007 |
| 159 | Paraguay | 26 October 2007 |
| 160 | Chile | 15 September 2008 |
| 161 | Andorra | 31 July 2009 |
| — | Kosovo | 17 October 2009 |
| 162 | Fiji | 15 March 2010 |
| 163 | Botswana | 4 September 2010 |
| 164 | Syria | 23 September 2010 |
| 165 | Zimbabwe | 13 January 2011 |
| 166 | Tuvalu | 29 June 2011 |
| 167 | Namibia | 21 December 2011 |
| 168 | Malta | 25 January 2017 |
| 169 | Georgia | 16 February 2019 |
| 170 | South Korea | 18 July 2019 |
| 171 | Cyprus | 30 August 2019 |
| 172 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12 September 2019 |
| 173 | Monaco | 26 September 2019 |
| 174 | San Marino | 26 September 2019 |
| 175 | Armenia | 27 September 2019 |
| 176 | Tunisia | 27 September 2019 |
| 177 | Philippines | 22 September 2021 |
| 178 | South Africa | 18 September 2023 |

## Bilateral relations
### Multilateral

| Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| European Union | | See Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union |
| NATO | | See North Macedonia–NATO relations North Macedonia joined in NATO on 27 March 2020. |

### Africa

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Egypt | 14 November 1994 | North Macedonia has an embassy in Cairo. |
| South Africa | 18 September 2023 | South Africa is represented in North Macedonia by its embassy in Athens, Greece. |

### Americas

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Argentina | 24 September 1999 | Argentina is accredited to North Macedonia from its embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. North Macedonia is accredited to Argentina from its embassy in Madrid, Spain. |
| Brazil | 14 September 1998 | Brazil is accredited to North Macedonia from its embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. North Macedonia has an embassy in Brasília. |
| Canada | 4 July 1996 | Canada is accredited to North Macedonia from its embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. North Macedonia has an embassy in Ottawa. Canada has an honorary consulate in Skopje. |
| Mexico | 4 October 2001 | Mexico is accredited to North Macedonia from its embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. North Macedonia is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico has an honorary consulate in Skopje. |
| United States | 13 September 1995 | See North Macedonia–United States relations Then US President George W. Bush with the political leaders of North Macedonia in 2008 The United States and North Macedonia enjoy excellent bilateral relations. The United States formally recognized North Macedonia on February 8, 1994, and the two countries established full diplomatic relations on September 13, 1995. The U.S. Liaison Office was upgraded to an embassy in February 1996, and the first U.S. Ambassador to Skopje arrived in July 1996. The development of political relations between the United States and North Macedonia has ushered in a whole host of other contacts between the two states. In 2004, the United States recognized the country under its constitutional name of that time – Republic of Macedonia. North Macedonia has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulates-general in Chicago, Detroit and Ridgefield Park. United States has an embassy in Skopje. |

### Asia

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Azerbaijan | 28 June 1995 | See Azerbaijan–North Macedonia relations The government of North Macedonia recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on June 25, 1995. Diplomatic relations were established on June 28, 1995. |
| China | 12 October 1993 | On October 12, 1993, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) established diplomatic relations with North Macedonia expressly declaring that the Government of the PRC is the sole legal government of China, and Taiwan as an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The Government of North Macedonia affirmed it would not establish any form of official relations with Taiwan. China has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Beijing. |
| Georgia | 16 February 2019 | See Georgia–North Macedonia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on February 16, 2019. |
| India | 1996 | See India–North Macedonia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1996. North Macedonia has an embassy in New Delhi. |
| Indonesia | | Indonesia is represented in North Macedonia by its embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. Indonesia has an honorary consulate in Skopje. |
| Iran | 10 March 1995 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on March 10, 1995. Iran has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia is accredited to Iran from its embassy in Ankara, Turkey. |
| Israel | 7 December 1995 | See Israel–North Macedonia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on December 7, 1995. Israel has an honorary consulate in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Tel Aviv. |
| Japan | March 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in March 1994. North Macedonia opened its first resident embassy in Tokyo in 2013 and the first resident ambassador of North Macedonia to Japan is H.E. Dr. Andrijana Cvetkovik Japan has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Kazakhstan | | The two countries hold regular political consultations on subjects of political, economic, cultural, humanitarian issues. North Macedonia has an embassy in Astana. |
| North Korea | 11 October 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on October 11, 1993. They enjoy friendly relations. DPRK is represented in North Macedonia through its embassy in Sofia. |
| South Korea | 18 July 2019 | Due to the concern of Greece on Macedonia naming dispute, The Republic of Korea did not establish formal diplomatic relations with Macedonia until it renamed itself "Republic of North Macedonia". Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 18, 2019. South Korea is represented in North Macedonia through its embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. |
| Qatar | | North Macedonia has an embassy in Doha. Qatar has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Taiwan | 27 January 1999 | Notwithstanding the above, North Macedonia and the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC) established diplomatic relations on January 27, 1999. This development increased the number of the ROC's diplomatic allies in Europe from one to two (the other being the Holy See). The PRC was opposed to this and in retaliation vetoed the UN resolution renewing the mandate of the UNPREDEP (a peacekeeping force) in North Macedonia. On April 28, 1999, North Macedonia opened an embassy in Taipei, ROC. The Republic of North Macedonia and the PRC normalized their relations on June 18, 2001. On the same day, the ROC severed diplomatic relations with North Macedonia. In the joint communiqué between North Macedonia and People's Republic of China, North Macedonia recognized "emphatically that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory". |
| Turkey | | See North Macedonia–Turkey relations Due to historical and cultural mutualities and human bonds North Macedonia and Turkey have very close and friendly relations. Shortly after North Macedonia declared its independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, Turkey was among the first countries to recognise North Macedonia's sovereignty. Bilateral relations were established on August 26, 1992. North Macedonia has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate–general in Istanbul, while Turkey has an embassy in Skopje and a consulate-general in Bitola. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| United Arab Emirates | | North Macedonia has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. |
| Vietnam | 10 June 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on June 10, 1994. North Macedonia is represented in Vietnam through its embassy in Beijing, China. Vietnam is represented in North Macedonia through its embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. |

### Europe

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Albania | | See Albania–North Macedonia relations Recently (Aug. 2008) they signed a treaty enabling visa-free movement between the countries. Both countries support each other's ethnic minorities in cultural, political and educational aspects. During the ethnic conflict in 2001, the Albanian government did not interfere and supported peaceful resolution. Albania had recognized Skopje under the UN provisional reference of the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", abbreviated as FYROM. Both countries are full members of the NATO and Council of Europe. On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck Albania. North Macedonia sent €100,000 in financial aid, drones with thermal cameras, rescue teams and mechanical equipment for relief operations. Both countries EU Accession negotiations on 24 March 2020. Albania has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Tirana. |
| Austria | 23 December 1994 | See Austria–North Macedonia relations Austria has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Vienna. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe. Austria is an EU member and North Macedonia is an EU candidate. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | | See Bosnia and Herzegovina–North Macedonia relations Bosnia has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Sarajevo. |
| Bulgaria | | See Bulgaria–North Macedonia relations Bulgaria–North Macedonia relations refer to the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Rules for governing good neighbourly relations were agreed between Bulgaria and North Macedonia in the Joint Declaration of February 22, 1999 and reaffirmed by a joint memorandum signed on January 22, 2008 in Sofia. The governments of Bulgaria and North Macedonia signed a friendship treaty to bolster the relations between the two Balkan states in August 2017. The treaty was ratified by the parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia on the 15th of and of Bulgaria on 18 January 2018. Bulgaria is the first country in the world to recognise Macedonia as an independent state. Both countries are full members of NATO. Bulgaria has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Sofia. |
| Croatia | | See Croatia–North Macedonia relations Croatia has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Cyprus | 29 August 2019 | See Cyprus–North Macedonia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on August 29, 2019. |
| Czech Republic | 2 March 1994 | See Czech Republic–North Macedonia relations Both countries are full members of NATO. North Macedonia has an embassy in Prague. Czech Republic has a consular agency in Skopje. |
| Denmark | | See Denmark–North Macedonia relations Both countries are full members of NATO. North Macedonia has an embassy in Copenhagen. Denmark has an honorary consulate-general in Skopje. |
| Estonia | 2 March 1995 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on March 2, 1995. Both countries are full members of NATO. North Macedonia has an embassy in Tallinn. Estonia has an honorary consulate in Skopje. |
| Finland | | Finland is an EU member and North Macedonia is an candidate. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| France | | France has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Paris. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Germany | | See Germany–North Macedonia relations Germany has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Berlin. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Greece | | See Greece–North Macedonia relations North Macedonia and Greece have excellent economic and business relations, with Greece being the largest investor in the country. Until the Prespa Agreement (2019), the indeterminate status of North Macedonia's former name arose from a long-running dispute with Greece. The main points of the dispute were: The name: see Macedonia naming dispute, and the section Naming issue (resolved, below in this article). The flag: the use of Vergina Sun, a Greek state symbol, on the initial national flag used between 1992 and 1995 (resolved, see below) Constitutional issues: certain articles of the constitution that were seen as claims on Greek territory (resolved, see below). The naming issue was "parked" in a compromise agreed at the United Nations in 1993. However, Greece refused to grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic and imposed an economic blockade that lasted until the flag and constitutional issues were resolved in 1995. The naming issue was resolved with the Prespa Agreement, signed in 2018, and entered into force in February 2019. Both countries are full members of NATO. Greece has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Athens. |
| Iceland | | Iceland is represented in North Macedonia through its embassy in Vienna, Austria. North Macedonia is represented in Iceland through its embassy in London, United Kingdom, and an honorary consulate in Reykjavík. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Kosovo | | See Kosovo–North Macedonia relations North Macedonia and Kosovo have very friendly and cordial neighbourly relations which mainly are due to the ethnic Albanian populations that live inside North Macedonia. In October 2008, North Macedonia recognized Kosovo as an independent state with plan to establish diplomatic relations. Kosovo recognized the neighbouring country under its former constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Also in October 2008, a bilateral agreement was signed between the two countries after the border between the two was physically marked by a joint committee. Kosovo and North Macedonia have signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2005 to facilitate trade opportunities, investment conditions and improve good-neighbourly relations. North Macedonia's investments are the largest in Kosovo since its independence on February 17, 2008 year. Kosovo has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Pristina. |
| Lithuania | 18 July 1995 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 18, 1995. Both countries are full members of NATO. Lithuania has an honorary consulate in Skopje. |
| Montenegro | 14 June 2006 | See North Macedonia–Montenegro relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on June 14, 2006. Both countries are full members of NATO. North Macedonia has an embassy in Podgorica. Montenegro has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Netherlands | | the Netherlands has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in The Hague. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and NATO. |
| Norway | 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1993. Both countries are full members of NATO. North Macedonia has an embassy in Oslo. Norway has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Poland | | North Macedonia has an embassy in Warsaw. Poland has an embassy in Skopje. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Romania | 11 January 1995 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 11, 1995. Both countries are full members of NATO. North Macedonia has an embassy in Bucharest. Romania has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Russia | | See North Macedonia–Russia relations North Macedonia has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Serbia | | See North Macedonia–Serbia relations North Macedonia and Serbia traditionally have friendly relations. Serbia is a main trading partner and recognized its neighbour under its former constitutional name – Republic of Macedonia. Macedonians in Serbia are a recognized national minority, same as Serbs in North Macedonia. However, the non-recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church by the Serbian Orthodox Church and North Macedonia's recognition of Kosovo as an independent state are disturbing the relations of these two countries. North Macedonia has an embassy in Belgrade. Serbia has an embassy in Skopje. |
| Slovenia | 12 February 1992 | See North Macedonia–Slovenia relations North Macedonia and Slovenia have very close political and economic relations. Once part of SFR Yugoslavia, the two republics declared independence in 1991 (Slovenia in June, North Macedonia in September) and recognised each other's independence on February 12, 1992. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established on March 17, 1992. Slovenia supports North Macedonia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, its Euro-integration and visa liberalisation. A significant number of Slovenian investments ended up in North Macedonia. In 2007, about 70 million euros were invested. In January 2009, the Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski announced, that he expects more Slovenian investments in infrastructure and energy projects. Over 70 Slovenian companies are present on the Macedonian market. Both countries are full members of NATO. Slovenia has an embassy in Skopje. North Macedonia has an embassy in Ljubljana. |
| Spain | | See North Macedonia–Spain relations North Macedonia has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Skopje. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Sweden | | Sweden is an EU member and North Macedonia is an candidate. Both countries are full members of NATO. |
| Ukraine | | See North Macedonia–Ukraine relations North Macedonia has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Skopje. |
| United Kingdom | 16 December 1993 | See North Macedonia–United Kingdom relations North Macedonia established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 16 December 1993. North Macedonia maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to North Macedonia through its embassy in Skopje. Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, the International Criminal Court, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement. |

### Oceania

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Australia | 15 February 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 February 1994. Australia is accredited to North Macedonia from its embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. North Macedonia has an embassy in Canberra. Australia has an honorary consulate in Skopje. |
| New Zealand | | North Macedonia is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Canberra, Australia. New Zealand is accredited to North Macedonia from its embassy in Rome, Italy. |

## Issues
### Flag issue

North Macedonia's first post-independence flag caused a major controversy when it was unveiled. The use of the Vergina Sun on the flag was seen by Greece as territorial claim to the northern Greek region of Macedonia, where the golden larnax containing the symbol was unearthed in 1977 during excavations in Vergina by Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos.
The Vergina Sun, claimed by Greece as an exclusive state symbol, was removed from the flag under an agreement reached between the Republic of North Macedonia and Greece in September 1995. The Republic agreed to meet a number of Greek demands for changes to its national symbols and constitution, while Greece agreed to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic and end its economic blockade.
Under the Prespa Agreement, North Macedonia recognised (among other Ancient Macedonian elements) the Vergina Sun as a Hellenic symbol and agreed to remove the Vergina Sun from public display in all State-owned organisations, products, logos, etc. The implementation of this clause started on August 12, 2019.
   Within six months following the entry into force of this Agreement, the Second Party [i.e. North Macedonia] shall review the status of monuments, public buildings and infrastructures on its territory, and insofar as they refer in any way to ancient Hellenic history and civilization constituting an integral component of the historic or cultural patrimony of the First Party, shall take appropriate corrective action to effectively address the issue and ensure respect for the said patrimony.
   —Article 8, paragraph 2 of the Prespa agreement
   The Second Party [i.e. North Macedonia] shall not use again in any way and in all its forms the symbol formerly displayed on its former national flag [i.e. the Vergina Sun]. Within six months of the entry into force of this Agreement, the Second Party shall proceed to the removal of the symbol displayed on its former national flag from all public sites and public usages on its territory. Archaeological artefacts do not fall within the scope of this provision.
   —Article 8, paragraph 3 of the Prespa agreement

### Constitutional issue

North Macedonia's first post-independence constitution, adopted on November 17, 1991 included a number of clauses that Greece interpreted as promoting secessionist sentiment among the Slavophone population of northern Greece, and making irredentist claims on Greek territory. Article 49 of the constitution caused particular concern. It read:
    (1) The Republic cares for the status and rights of those persons belonging to the Macedonian people in neighboring countries, as well as Macedonian expatriates, assists their cultural development and promotes links with them. In the exercise of this concern the Republic will not interfere in the sovereign rights of other states or in their internal affairs.
    (2) The Republic cares for the cultural, economic and social rights of the citizens of the Republic abroad.
The Greek government interpreted this as a licence for North Macedonia to interfere in Greek internal affairs. Given long-standing Greek sensitivities over the position of the country's minority groups, the government saw this as being the most serious of the three main issues affecting relations between the two countries; the issue of the republic's symbols, by contrast, was seen as being of much less substantive importance, even though it aroused the loudest political controversy. The Greek prime minister at the time, Constantine Mitsotakis, later commented that
    What concerned me from the very first moment was not the name of the state. The problem for me was that [we should not allow] the creation of a second minority problem in the area of western [Greek] Macedonia [the first minority being the Turkish-speaking Greeks of western Thrace]. My main aim was to convince the Republic to declare that there is no Slavomacedonian minority in Greece. This was the real key of our difference with Skopje.
The offending articles were removed under the 1995 agreement between the two sides.