Republic of Macedonia

The history of Greece's foreign policy is a litany of strategic successes and missed opportunities. The same applies to the foreign policy of the European Union. Our national failures stem from the toxic combination of populism and fear of political cost. The failures of the EU usually result from diverging national interests among member-states.

Dendias issued this statement after North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev warned that part of the deal which ended a decades-long dispute with Greece might be at risk, because some articles are linked to his country's EU accession prospects.

North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Wednesday that the Prespes deal foresees the opening of European Union accession talks with the country and as such will be fully enforced. 

Zaev's comments came a day after he indicated that a veto on the country's European Union accession talks meant the deal would be "frozen," prompting concern in Athens.  

This is carried out by the Plusinfo portal.
President Pendarovski explains that it will be on hold until the accession negotiations with the EU begin as a part of the Prespa Agreement that deals with internal and external communication and the use of the new state name.

The provision included in the Prespes agreement that North Macedonia's name will be erga omnes - namely, to be used both domestically and internationally - could be undermined if the neighboring country's accession bid to the European Union is indefinitely postponed, according to legal experts.

Despite the support of 25 member-states, the European Council has rejected the launch of accession talks with North Macedonia, essentially leaving its Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in a political lurch, given that he had plugged the contentious Prespes agreement with Greece to his people as the ticket that will open the gates to Europe.

Athens supports Bulgaria's entry into Schengen, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said after meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva.

Just over 50 percent of respondents were positive or "probably positive" about the outcome of the 7 July general election that swept New Democracy to power while 46 percent were negative or "probably negative" according to a Kappa Research poll conducted between 9-11 July

North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in an interview with  Germany's   Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) published days before the first anniversary of the 17 June signing of the Prespa Agreement expressed confidence that a Mitsotakis government will not challenge the accord that the New Democracy leader so bitterly opposed.

EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker indicated on Tuesday that he was not concerned about the effect a possible change in government in Greece will have on the Prespes accord, noting it is an official agreement signed between two states.