Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos and Tsipras’ junior coalition partner Panos Kammenos proposed an alternative agreement with FYROM free of the Macedonia name issue. The leader of Independent Greeks (ANEL) is a fierce opponent of the Prespes Agreement.
During a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell in Washington on Tuesday, Kammenos proposed a defense agreement among Greece, FYROM, Albania, Bulgaria and at a later stage also with Serbia.
Aim is the creation of a stability arc in the northern borders of the country, Greece’ state-run news agency amna reported.
Kammenos argued that this move will stop the Russian penetration into the Balkans and will shield stability in FYROM.
The plan serves the same geo-political targets as the Prespses Agreement without touching the name issue, he said referring the solution to dispute to the future.
He told Mitchell that the Greek government showed “its good will” on the issue adding that the Referendum showed that majority of FYROM citizens does not agree with the Prespes Agreement meaning that the phenomenon of irredentism will continue.
Kammenos expressed the opinion that the Prespes Agreement will not be ratified in FYROM Parliament.
The leader of ANEL has repeatedly warned that he will down vote the Prespes Agreement once it comes to the Greek Parliament for ratification or even withdraw from the coalition government.
The question is whether Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was aware of Kammenos’ alternative plan, did they jointly worked it out or did the SYRIZA part of the coalition heard about it through the media.
