2024-05-13 08:59:47
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned that Skopje’s ambitions to join the European Union are at risk if the Prespa Agreement is violated, BGNES reported.
Mitsotakis condemned the behavior of newly elected Macedonian Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who called her country “Macedonia” rather than its constitutional North Macedonia, at her May 12 swearing-in.
“The provocative decision of the new president of North Macedonia to break the official text of his oath and call his country by another name is an illegal and unacceptable initiative. It violates the Prespa Agreement and the constitution of her country. Siljanovska is also undermining her country’s future prospects,” Mitsotakis wrote on Facebook.
“It is well known that, as the opposition, the New Democracy party voted against the 2019 agreement. In fact, then we warned of the problems that would create its flaws. However, as a government, we respected Greece’s signature under an international treaty that binds the country. Unfortunately, the latter developments confirm our consistently cautious stance,” he said.
“Greece rejects maneuvers like those with which Mrs. Siljanovska began her mandate. Greece calls on her to return to her legal duties and conduct befitting her role. We categorically state that we will not accept such errors. And we emphasize once again that any progress in bilateral relations, as well as any step of Skopje towards Europe, depends on the sincere observance of the agreements, the correct use of the constitutional name of the neighboring country and, of course, the avoidance of provocations”, emphasized the Greek Prime Minister .
The Prespa Treaty was signed on June 17, 2018 in the village of Nivitsi on the shore of the Great Prespa Lake. The agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of both countries, Nikos Kodzias and Nikola Dimitrov, in the presence of Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev. The agreement ended a long-running dispute over Macedonia’s name between authorities in Skopje and Athens.
The signing was also attended by UN Special Representative Matthew Nimitz, as well as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.