Greece will ratify Prespa Agreement when North Macedonia fully complies with its int’l commitments, says FM Gerapetritis

Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said on Wednesday that the “Prespa Agreement” will be tabled in Parliament for ratification as soon as Greece is convinced that the neighboring country fully complies with its international commitments.

The Foreign Minister particularly focused on the “immediate reactions at an international and European level” to the president of North Macedonia, who did not used the constitutional term “North Macedonia” during her oath on Sunday.

He recalled that among those who condemned the incident with statements were  the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Council, the representative of the State Department and of NATO, but also of other major countries.

He added that “there is also a lot of internal pressure within North Macedonia,” referring to the statements of North Macedonia’s interim Minister of Justice Krenar Loga, that his country “respects and will respect all international agreements”.

Responding to a question regarding the ratification by the Greek parliament of the three Memoranda of Cooperation between the two countries, Gerapetritis said that “I never said that they would come within the year, but that my wish is that they come within my tenure.”

“The fact that we are now in a situation where the memoranda have not yet been tabled is linked to the fact that, to date, we have not been convinced that there has been full compliance on the part of the neighboring country. Because it is not only the name, there are also other matters. We say that they will come when we have ensured that there is full compliance,” Gerapetritis added.