LISBON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government welcomes the preliminary agreement reached on Sunday on the new designation for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the government said in a statement issued on Monday.

The Portuguese government hopes that the agreement will put an end to the dispute since 1991, when the independence of the FYROM was declared.

The Portuguese government also emphasizes the role of UN mediation, in particular the chief negotiator Matthew Nimetz.

The Portuguese government considers that, in addition to allowing the normalization of the bilateral relations between the two states, the agreement will contribute to strengthening the stabilization of the Balkan region and remove an essential obstacle regarding the European and transatlantic perspectives of FYROM, the statement concluded.

Foreign ministers of Greece and FYROM signed a preliminary agreement on Sunday, agreeing to rename the Balkan nation the Republic of North Macedonia, despite strong protests over a deal from both sides.