Macedonia’s President Gjorge Ivanov addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. Voter turnout in Sunday’s referendum is critical, as the result will be valid only if more than 50 percent of Macedonia’s 1.8 million registered voters participate. Western countries strongly back the deal, as Macedonia’s NATO accession would limit Russian influence in the Balkans. After the referendum, lawmakers must vote to amend the constitution to reflect the name change. ___This story has been corrected to show Macedonia has 1.8 million registered voters, not 1.2 million.

Source: Washington Post September 27, 2018 18:03 UTC