(28 Sep 2018) Macedonians living in the border town of Gevgelija hope Sunday's historic vote on their country's name will lead to new economic opportunities.
Sunday's referendum asks voters if they support changing the Balkan nation's name from Macedonia to North Macedonia.
The proposed prefix might seem minor, but it touches a nerve in the ex-Yugoslav republic that declared independence in 1991.
Greece, which has held a tight grip on the border area at Gevgelija for decades, has agreed to drop longstanding objections to Macedonia's bids to join NATO and eventually the European Union, if the new name is approved.
One of the main reasons for the dispute is Greece's denial of its neighbour's name and heritage.
Historically, ancient Macedonia of Alexander the Great was spread over three countries in the Balkans - Greece, Macedonia and Bulgaria.
But the Greeks held the right over the name of Macedonia, which is the name of the northern Greek region that has Thessaloniki as its capital.
Despite the historical issues and modern day problems between two countries, thousands of Greeks travel daily to Gevgelija for food shopping, refuelling and gambling.
They also travel for medical treatment with some services up to 50 percent cheaper on the Macedonian side.
Doctor Venci Karapeev, the owner of "Karadent "dental surgery in Gevgelija, said a name change would bring more Greek visitors and shoppers to the small border town.
Residents of Gevgelija seem to share Karapeev's optimism. Many can't wait for the name change to come into practice, as they expect thousands more Greeks to come and spend money in their shops and businesses.
According to Macedonian Economy Ministry data, Gevgelija's business largely depends on cross-border Greek spending.
The Greek parliament has yet to adopt the name-change law, but according to the details of the deal, massive EU funds will be made available to Macedonia once it changes its name, and that in itself will dramatically improve its otherwise poor economy.
Skopje and Athens struck a deal in June after months of tough negotiations. The Macedonian parliament approved the deal in July and if voters back the agreement in the referendum, the next step will be for Macedonia to amend its constitution.
The final step for NATO admission is ratification by Greece's parliament, which would vote only after Macedonia completes all the necessary procedures.
The question voters will decide on this weekend is: "Are you in favour of membership in the European Union and NATO by accepting the deal between Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Greece?".
Polls indicate Macedonians will likely back the agreement, but it remains unclear whether turn-out will meet the required 50 percent threshold for the vote to be valid.
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