Athens, 18 April 2024 (MIA) - The Agreement was signed and it now represents an agreement that binds both sides, said Greek Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis at a media briefing Thursday in Thessaloniki in answer to a journalist’s question over the elections in North Macedonia and the VMRO-DPMNE leader’s position that he won’t use the name “North Macedonia”, as well as over scenarios for the scrapping of the Agreement by North Macedonia, MIA’s Athens correspondent reports.

Marinakis reminded of New Democracy’s position when it was in the opposition, saying it was clearly expressed but noted that at the same time, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as the leader of the opposition at the time, “clearly stated that from the moment this Agreement is adopted, it must be respected and represents an agreement of the Greek state.”

“We clearly voiced our differences, our disagreements, our opposition, if you remember back then there was a fierce discussion in the Greek Parliament after the proposal submitted by New Democracy’s parliamentary group. The Agreement was signed and it already represents an agreement that binds both sides. We will see the outcome of the elections in the neighboring country. Every country has a right to express the position it believes to be right for it, but Greece is a sovereign country that doesn’t deviate at all from its national positions and of course all of this can’t change overnight because someone wants that, as history has shown,” Marinakis said.

At the same time, he said they will see what the outcome of the elections in North Macedonia is and reiterated that “it is certain that Greece has a Government which will in no case deviate from something that has been agreed nor from issues related to sovereign rights.”