Greek media are reporting that their Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has notified other countries and international organizations that they should not allow Macedonian citizens to enter their territory with passports that don’t have the imposed name “North Macedonia”.

Greece insists on strict application of the Prespa Treaty, even though the Government in Skopje has failed to issue passports with the adjective “North” to estimated hundreds of thousands of citizens. Huge lines have formed both to apply for new passports and to try to receive those already printed out over the past weeks, before the new interim Interior Minister Pance Toskoski tried to create some order in the process – but the Ministry still lacks blank passports for all the applicants.

The Xhaferi Government generally accepts the obligation and is not likely to challenge Greece’s note issued to other countries. It is expected that after February 12th, Macedonian border police will not allow citizens with valid passports that have the name Republic of Macedonia to leave the country, and will only allow out those with passports with the imposed adjective.