Athens, 21 May 2024 (MIA) — The Prespa Agreement stipulates that the name of the country is irrevocable, ever since the constitutional name is "North Macedonia," despite Mrs. Siljanovska calling her country "Macedonia," Syriza spokeswoman Voula Kehagia said in an interview with Greek 'Talk Radio 989,' MIA's Athens correspondent reports.

Kehagia recalled that the country had entered NATO under the new name, North Macedonia, and she added that there would be no progress in the country's EU integration if the name deal was not honored.

On the three memorandums that her party had recently put to a parliamentary vote again, Kehagia said that if they had been ratified earlier, "Greece's negotiating position in relation to the accession process of North Macedonia to the EU would have been stronger."

"One of the protocols, which is about its relations with the EU, would have given us the ability to put much more pressure on them and influence them," the opposition party spokeswoman said.

Kehagia said the ruling party, New Democracy, although it kept saying the Prespa Agreement was a "bad deal," was still essentially in support of it, albeit never overtly.

"If they wanted to, New Democracy could invoke Article 19, which says that if one side – or both sides – do not honor it, they can turn to the United Nations, seek mediation from the UN Secretary General and find some solution. The government does not want to do this, because it supports the agreement," Kehagia said. mr/