“SYRIZA – PS unequivocally condemns the new provocative violation of the Prespa Agreement by the president of VMRO and elected Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Mr. Mickoski”, says Koumoundourou in a statement and “calls on him to finally comply with the international fair enough”.

It reminds VMRO and Mr. Mickoski of the principle of International Law “pacta sunt servanda”, as well as the prescribed sanctions deriving from international and Community law for continued violations of the Prespa Agreement.

He then underlines that “The Prespa Agreement is a European acquis and full compliance with it is a necessary condition for North Macedonia to join the EU. At the same time, we recall the American legislation of 2021 which provides for sanctions in case of violation of the Agreement”.

However, he also turns to the Mitsotakis government, calling on it “to take the appropriate actions as provided by the Prespa Agreement and to immediately internationalize the issue by bringing the new leadership of North Macedonia face to face with its responsibilities before the international community in case it continues to be in breach of the Agreement. At the same time, we call on Mr. Mitsotakis to finally stop the cheap populism of both him and his executives, who have carried out a series of nationalist and patriotic outbursts in an attempt to divide the Greek people once again, for purely intra-party and vote-seeking reasons.”

He accuses the government of “grave responsibility for this new damage it is causing to national interests, in the name of the IX and its irresponsible foreign policy, without doing any of the following: Neither the Memoranda were brought for ratification, nor was the Supreme Cooperation Council ever convened – despite the provision for one a year – which would lead to the conclusion of dozens of new bilateral treaties, thus strengthening our country’s influence. At the same time, the government did not exert pressure to ensure that North Macedonia would implement its obligations for textbooks, trademarks, passports and car plates. All she did all these years was avoid any active involvement with the Accord in order to maintain her internal party balances.” In closing, he states: “It is really sad that the Agreement achieved by the progressive forces in Greece and North Macedonia, which is a monument of cooperation and understanding for the whole of South-Eastern Europe, is called into question by the two sister parties in the EPP, in order to attract the nationalist audiences, a tactic that has fed the hatred between the Balkan peoples throughout time”.