If North Macedonia continues to violate the Prespa agreement, Greece will use tools to put even more pressure on Skopje.
This was stated by Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis, reports BGNES.
"The means are both bilateral and multilateral at the level of international organizations," the diplomat explained in an interview with state-run ERT television.
Gerapetritis stressed that the Prespa Agreement has been ratified by the parliaments of both countries, therefore they have legal obligations "that cannot be changed by either side."
"The Prespa agreement clearly states that there can be no changes on the issue of the name 'North Macedonia'. This is a provision that remains forever. At this point there is a clear violation by the political and state leadership (in Skopje). There is no legal justification for the claim that any political or state leader can use another name for his country outside the formal framework, as this would in fact be a direct violation. This policy is not in line with domestic constitutional law nor with international law," the Greek foreign minister added.
Yorgos Geratetritis explained that the Treaty of Prespa "has significant political and legal problems", but has already been signed and binds Athens and Skopje.
"I have made a very big effort to fully and completely inform all our partners and all international organisations. At this moment there is serious concern about the attitude of North Macedonia. This policy is in direct contradiction to international agreements that are the basis of the international security architecture. If it continues, the Greek side has the means to exert even more pressure. The means are both bilateral and multilateral at the level of international organisations," the diplomat warned.
BGNES recalls that the Treaty of Prespa was signed on 17 June 2018 in S. Nivitsi on the shores of the Great Prespa Lake. The agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, Nikos Kodzias and Nikola Dimitrov, in the presence of Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev. The agreement put an end to the long-standing dispute over the name of the then Republic of Macedonia between the authorities in Skopje and Athens. | BGNES
