Greece was wrong to block Macedonia's NATO entry in 2008 because of its long-time name dispute with the former Yugoslav Republic, UN's International Court of Justice has decided.

Greeece exercised a de facto veto on Macedonia's NATO accession at the Bucharest Summit in April 2008.

On Monday, the court found that Greece's veto violated a provisonal 1995 deal under which the Balkan country had agreed not to object to ?acedonia's membership in international oanizations if it used the name "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," or Macedonia, while the matter was submitted to further negotiations.

U.N.'s highest court did not fine Greece, neither did it order it to refrain from similar moves against Macedonia in the future.

Macedonia is registered at international organizations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because of the name dispute, rather than Republic of Macedonia at Greece's insistence, which fears the name "Macedonia" might spur territorial claims for its northern regions.

Macedonia continues to have no date for starting the EU talks as the Council of the European Union has repeatedly put off grating the country a date, largely because of its name dispute with Greece.

Greece and international intermediaries have suggested that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should adopt a name such as "Republic of Northern Macedonia" or "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje", which have been rejected by the Macedonian authorities.

Monday's judgment of the International Court of Justice can be read HERE.

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