Skopje, 31 August 2021 (MIA) – Greece strongly supports North Macedonia and the entire Western Balkans on the path towards the European Union. Greece is and can be your greatest friend and collaborator. The choice you’ve made to stand by us, to walk the path to the great European family is the right choice for the benefit of your people. The implementation of the Prespa Agreement needs to continue, which is the basis for improving mutual relations and the country joining the European family, said Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, who’s paying an official visit to North Macedonia on Tuesday. Greece, he added, is satisfied with what has been done so far in terms of the implementation of the agreement. “Many steps have been taken recently, one of which is the removal of the board in front of the building we’re in now, which was placed at different times and represented King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, because we agreed together that your ancestors had not yet arrived on the Balkan Peninsula at the time and it was not possible for them to fight under the leadership of Alexander the Great in the depths of Asia. The name of the Archaeological Museum was also changed, as well as the boards at the border crossings,” Dendias said, adding that the implementation of the agreement is not a bureaucratic thing, but every single letter needs to be implemented and for that, he noted, there’s a time frame. According to Dendias, investing in the young population is needed, which will be given the necessary tools to look towards our common future, instead of the past. The Greek Foreign Minister also stressed that all clarifications of the agreement that are wrong and hinder its implementation should be prevented. Our opportunities and our future are great, Dendias said, adding that Greece is convinced that the country has made a choice to be by its side and walk firmly on the path to the great European family. He pointed out that Greece since 2003 has been continuously making effort for Western Balkan countries to join the EU, stressing that the Balkans must never again become a powder keg in Europe. “You have decided to focus on the best path, the zone of the rule of law, the protection of human rights, the freedom of religion, the citizens, you have chosen to be part of the European family. This choice of yours is in the best interest of your people, and we believe you’ll soon succeed in trying to be part of the Union when the conditions are met,” said Dendias. Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference with his counterpart Bujar Osmani, Dendias said their meeting focused on these topics, as well as cooperation in economy, infrastructure, etc. Greek investors, he noted, have EUR 1 billion investments in North Macedonia, they provide 20 thousand jobs, and even in times of a pandemic, mutual trade exchange has reached around EUR 800 million. According to him, an important step is the agreement on natural gas, the protection of the airspace of North Macedonia by Greece, as well as the joint cooperation in the protection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments. Minister Dendias’ visit is a continuation of the intensive communication between the two Foreign Ministers, who noted during the talks continuity of positive dynamics in bilateral relations and cooperation, which is also a model for the whole region on what cooperation should be like and how to successfully resolve all open issues between two neighbors. In addition, the interlocutors exchanged views on the latest situation in the region, regional cooperation, crisis hotspots and action undertaken to overcome them, highlighting that as NATO allies and strategic partners in the EU, joint coordination is necessary to maximize the effects. Greek FM Dendias on Tuesday also met with President Stevo Pendarovski, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Deputy PM for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov, and Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi.