Athens, 1 February 2024 (MIA) — It is extremely hard for Greece to accept that five years was not enough time to replace people's passports, Greek diplomatic sources commented on the issuance of new travel documents in North Macedonia bearing the new name of the country and added that Skopje had not contacted Athens to ask for any deadline extensions, MIA's Athens correspondent reports.

The Greek government sources stressed that Feb. 12 had been set as the final deadline for issuing the new travel documents and car registration plates five years ago. Official Athens, they said, expected full implementation.

Asked by MIA's Athens correspondent whether North Macedonia had sought an extension of that deadline, they said no.

Regarding the three memorandums with North Macedonia still unratified by the Greek Parliament, the sources said the memorandums, too, were related to the Prespa Agreement and its implementation, so the Greek Government was yet to decide when to submit them to Parliament for ratification.

The sources reiterated that Athens was insistent on remaining in strict compliance with the Prespa Agreement, MIA's Athens correspondent writes. mr/