Mitsotakis tells Zaef “Greece is obliged to honor the Prespes Agreement”

“Greece is obliged to honor the Prespes Agreement,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told North Macedonia counterpart Zoran Zaev. The two leaders met in New York on Tuesday at the sidelines of the UN Climate Summit 2019. It was the very first meeting between Zaef and Mitsotakis, who was a fierce opponent of the Agreement.

Although he did not agree with the Prespes Agreement, Greece is obliged to honor it, Greek Mitsotakis told Zaev, state-run news agency amna report.

According to government sources, Mitsotakis told Zaev that he would not have signed the Prespes Agreement himself – concluded in June 2018 by the previous government with North Macedonia – but as it is now part of international law Greece is obliged to respect it.

He also told Zaev that as the main opposition leader at the time, he did whatever he could to prevent its ratification at the Greek parliament.

Mitsotakis called on Zaev to avoid delays in meeting the obligations of the agreement, especially in those relating to trademark protection.

Zaev said his government was committed to avoiding delays, and to implement all open issues as fast as possible, on the path to EU accession. The EU supports North Macedonia’s accession for all western Balkan countries and the issue will be on the agenda of the upcoming EU summit meeting.

He also added that the implementation of the agreement will boost Greek investments in his country, while Mitsotakis said that the lack of the agreement in the past did not prevent that from happening.

The sources also said the meeting was friendly and both leaders committed to their obligations

The meeting with Zaev was a part of a series of Mitsotakis’ contacts in New York. He will meet with President Donald Trump later today and with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tomorrow morning.

PS No, there is no scheduled Anti-Prespes Agreement protest. All these rallies were stopped after Mitsotakis assured his voters before the July elections that he would overhaul the Agreement once in power. I guess, Macedonia protesters fell asleep waiting for the new agreement.