Greece warned North Macedonia that its admission to the EU would be blocked by Athens if it continues to violate the Prespa Agreement which resolved the longstanding name dispute between the two neighbors.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the three memoranda of understanding linked to the 2018 agreement would not be ratified by Parliament as long as the new leadership in Skopje continues to breach the deal.
Speaking from the town of Veria in northern Greece during his campaign ahead of the European Parliament elections in June, Mitsotakis said:
“If some believe they can disregard the agreement, they should understand that their path to Europe will remain closed, and the memoranda will not be ratified unless there is compliance with what the agreement stipulates,” he said.
https://x.com/ellada24/status/1791433700489531504
Diplomatic tension between Greece and North Macedonia escalates
Diplomatic tension between Athens and Skopje has escalated as the newly-elected president and prime minister in North Macedonia have refrained from verbally using the country’s constitutional name, which includes the affixed geographical designation of “North,” in violation of the accord.
Last week Mitsotakis criticized North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova for referring to her country as “Macedonia” instead of its official title of “North Macedonia.”
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was sworn in on Sunday as North Macedonia’s first female president. However, the new president’s reference to her country as “Macedonia” was rebuked by both the Greek Prime Minister and the foreign ministry as a violation of the Prespa Agreement.
“The provocative decision of the new president of North Macedonia to violate the official text of her oath and refer to her country by a different name constitutes an illegal and unacceptable initiative,” the Greek Prime Minister wrote on X. “It breaches the Prespa Agreement and the constitution of her state. It also undermines its future prospects.”
On Thursday North Macedonia leader of the center-right nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party, Christian Mitskoski, insisted on using the term “Macedonia,” instead of the country’s constitutional name, following the steps of North Macedonia’s new president, Gordana Siljanovska.
Mitskoski praised her stance as “dignified” in referring to their country as “Macedonia.”
“If Greece believes we violated the Prespa Agreement, let them appeal to the International Court of Justice,” he stated. Mitskoski added, “We don’t expect relations between the two countries to be based on displays of power; we expect good and excellent neighborly relations.”
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis emphasized the importance of full compliance with the Prespa Agreement, which includes the precise name by which that country is referred to.
“Greece is closely monitoring the situation in North Macedonia. We urge the government and president of North Macedonia to fully implement the Prespa Agreement. While we are open to further discussion, no concessions on the prerequisites can be tolerated” he stressed.
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