Following his warning on Tuesday that the Prespa treaty will be impossible to implement if Macedonia doesn’t begin its EU accession talks, Zoran Zave today flopped and said that he will fully implement the treaty. His statement today comes after Greek politicians warned Zaev that failure to implement Prespa, even without the opening of EU accession talks, will only strengthen the opposition in the EU and likely renew the Greek veto.
We are definitely going ahead with the implementation of the Prespa treaty. The EU chapters are part of it. We are successfully working on the objections which arrived from the Greek side as well as those which we noted ourselves. We expect that the Greek side will also take concrete steps, such are replacing the road signs. The intent is to send an undeniable message that the Prespa treaty needs to be implemented in full, because it brings us a strategic partnership, gains for our new friend, our southern neighbor, and opens a lot of perspectives, Zaev said today.
Under Zaev, Macedonia began to use the imposed name “North Macedonia” even for purely domestic purposes, despite the article in the Prespa treaty which links this concession with the opening of accession talks. The article is clearly a guarantee against a renewed Greek veto, but it is just as effective if other countries, such as France, block the accession talks. It obliges Macedonia to fully use the “new name” domestically, but only after the relevant EU chapters have been opened, and gives a five year period since the opening until “Republic of North Macedonia” fully replaces the Republic of Macedonia in the given area.
When pressed further, Zaev said that the point of his comment was to send a message to the EU after France vetoed Macedonia from opening the accession talks, and not to Greece. Similarly, Zaev kept threatening EU countries that he will resign unless the accession talks begin, a move which didn’t work as France was left unimpressed at the European Council.
Our intent was to send a message to the EU, and not to the Greek people or politicians, that they need to pay attention to the need to open our accession talks as soon as possible. We amended our Constitution, the changed name is being used everywhere, is part of the daily life. I’m sorry the opposition is not using it, that sends a very serious message, that it is disobeying the Constitution and what would happen if they assume power? They will immediately provoke two, three new vetoes. God forbid that happens, Zaev added.
During the press conference Zaev also apologized for using an obscene gesture aimed at opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski.
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