Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou stressed in an interview with national television of North Macedonia that “the president, the prime minister, and all other officials are not ordinary citizens, they represent the state and therefore have the obligation to use the constitutional name of the country which is North Macedonia.”
“The name of the country is North Macedonia,” Papadopoulou said, adding that “it is part of an international agreement and is the name by which the country was admitted to NATO. It is under this name that accession negotiations with the European Union are conducted and it is the name used everywhere. And I will repeat that this is the constitutional name of the country and is enshrined in the country’s Constitution.”
Deputy Foreign Minister visited Skopje where she represented Greece at the Southeastern Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit held on Thursday in the capital of North Macedonia. She noted that Greece wants friendly and cooperative relations with North Macedonia, but the basis of this cooperation is compliance with the agreements.
“We are neighbors, we are allies within NATO and we hope to become partners within the European Union. We want this friendship to continue and be strengthened. Greece wishes to maintain close cooperation with your country. But there is a basis for this cooperation and that is the Prespa Agreement. Strict compliance with all obligations under international law, including the Prespa Agreement, is the basis of this ongoing cooperation. I hope and look forward to continuing this cooperation with the new government,” said Papadopoulou.
Meeting with the President of the Parliament of North Macedonia
Deputy Foreign Minister had meetings in Skopje with officials from North Macedonia. On Friday, she met with the new president of the North Macedonia Parliament Afrim Gashi, who, during the meeting, thanked Greece for its support on the path of North Macedonia’s EU accession, following NATO membership, a result, he said, of the Prespa Agreement. Papadopoulou congratulated Gashi on his election to the seat of parliament’s president.
“North Macedonia has a sincere friend in Greece. This is the message I convey to you from the entire leadership of Greece – that we are friends, neighbors, allies, partners in NATO and one day we will be partners in the EU as well,” said Papadopoulou during her meeting with Gashi.
