The ICJ court has ruled Greece was wrong to block a bid by Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to join NATO in 2008 because of a long-simmering dispute over the country's use of the name «Macedonia."

The court found Greece's veto breached a provisional 1995 deal under which Athens agreed not to block the tiny Balkan state's membership in international organizations if Skopje used the name «The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia» while the matter was submitted to further negotiations — which are still ongoing.

The ruling by the UN's highest court Monday does not resolve the fundamental dispute over the name. The country adopted the name when it declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992.