SIX YEARS OF GREEK SABOTAGE OF THE AGREEMENT OF NIVICI
In 2021, the British National Museum organized a mega-exhibition at the National Museum in Canberra, Australia, entitled "Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes". Among the 170 exhibited objects, two, and among the most striking ones, were from Macedonia, and there they were presented as from "Northern Macedonia". It was in accordance with the Prespa Agreement, which clearly states that what was excavated and taken away from Macedonia as archival material culturally, civilizationally and of course belongs to the ancient Greeks. No matter what term the ancient Greeks science does not know. Well, these are the consequences of a meaningless signature - at least two and a half thousand years of culture, civilization, archeology, heritage... of one of the oldest peoples - the Macedonians - were erased.
But let's get back to real time, right now and here.
The clamor gathered for the constitutional and historical name was stirred up
With just one timely statement, and that during the swearing-in ceremony, the new president of the Republic of Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, who skilfully and courageously avoided the geographical designation "North", caused a political storm and stirred up the clamor gathered for the country's constitutional and historical name. . Who was the first to react violently, as if the apocalypse had come for Macedonia? People say that the stone always comes close, so this time it was confirmed. They were the first to react violently at home. Those who flagrantly violated the Constitution, when it was illegally changed by internal and external political pressures, are now demanding respect for the constitutional provisions?! The Prespa Agreement was created with unprecedented political pressures, and there lies one of the arguments for its annihilation - annulment. Any agreement reached under duress, i.e. with a force factor, will be considered invalid, such are the wording and principles of contract law, emphasize experts in international law.
MITSOTAKIS DOES NOT LOOK IN HIS OWN BACKYARD, BUT LOOKS FOR THE FAULT IN OTHERS'
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis yesterday, as reported by Greek media, strongly expressed Greek disapproval of the Macedonian president's attitude and actions. He points out that "Greece rejects manipulations like those with which Mrs. Siljanovska opens her mandate" and "calls on her to return to her legal obligations and to the behaviors that arise from her role."
- We categorically state that we will not accept similar slips. And we repeat that every progress in bilateral relations, as well as every step of Skopje towards Europe, depends on the sincere respect of the agreements, on the correct use of the constitutional name of the neighboring country and, of course, on avoiding challenges - said Mitsotakis in a threatening undiplomatic tone.
And the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Giorgos Gerapetridis, in an interview with the "Vradini" newspaper, says that he has repeatedly emphasized that "North Macedonia's path to the European Union also goes through consistent observance of the Prespa Agreement." In doing so, he says that a revision of the Prespa Agreement is not possible without an agreement between the parties.
Mitsotakis previously told "Kathimerini" that he will wait for the official position on the name of the state.
- I personally did not agree with the Prespa Agreement. But I accepted it in the context of the continuity of the state and realized that, despite my disagreement, I had to respect it. I want to hope that what was heard before the election will not be heard after the election. If that happens, we will have problems - Mitsotakis said.
Athens has not yet ratified the memoranda, it has not done anything about the change of textbooks, about the change of trade marks, but also about
change of traffic signs
What does the Greek Prime Minister forget, or why does he look at the (non)application of the Prespa Agreement with rose-colored glasses? And as it is tailored asymmetric to the detriment of Macedonia, Athens hardly applies the agreement at all. The SYRIZA party, which was in power when that agreement was signed, states in a statement that the Mitsotakis government "has done nothing to protect the agreement for five years", and as an example mentions that it has not yet ratified the memoranda, it has done nothing about the change of textbooks, to change the trade marks of the companies from the neighboring country, but also to change the traffic signs in Greece.
– Not only did it not ratify the three memoranda of 2019 that had clear benefits for the country, but not a single High Council of Cooperation was held – despite the once-a-year provision, and only one interstate agreement was signed instead of dozens of new ones being negotiated – they say from SYRIZA.
IF ONE PARTY DOES NOT OBSERVE THE AGREEMENT, IT IS VOID
A former Macedonian ambassador says that, according to his knowledge, Greece has implemented almost nothing of the undertaken obligations.
- Apart from declaratively supporting us for the path to the EU, he has not done anything else more serious. Three declarations from the signing sit in a drawer in the Greek parliament. They do not ratify them. That's why they also lost control of the Macedonian sky, which the Italians are now taking care of - says the ambassador.
Some professors point out, which is a notorious fact in Greece itself, that the government in Athens does not respect the Prespa Agreement, and even points out the points where it is deliberately not implemented, probably for domestic use when they need it, then, according to provisions of that agreement, it becomes null and void.
- We now have to inform the First Party (Greece) that this agreement does not work because we respect it unilaterally, and they violate it. We should also inform the UN as the mediator of the agreement about this factual situation and that we are going back to the beginning before the signing of the agreement (restitutio in integrum) due to her non-implementation of her obligations - points out Prof. Igor Janev, an outstanding expert on the UN system.
Does this remind of the period when Greece accused Macedonia of violating the Interim Agreement, and not Macedonia? The answer is yes. Did Greece lose the case before the International Court of Justice? The answer is yes. It is possible that history repeats itself, but it is already an internal problem of Greece, which does not want to implement it as agreed. The question of the status, position and rights of the Macedonians in Greece remained open, which the new government could probably open.
Dilemmas: Macedonia for home or general use?
No one can forbid us to use the name Macedonia at home! With this sentence, many domestic and foreign experts in international law whom we contacted these days stood in defense of the new president of Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, for which they of course argued from a legalistic point of view. Their conclusion is that the above-mentioned attitude and move of Siljanovska is correct!
In the coming days, we will discover more things that have gone beyond the disastrously bad agreement with Greece, which in recent years has fiercely insisted on the use of "Severna".
The question remains whether we will use the noun Macedonia and all the derived adjectives in the future, as our domestic interlocutors say, only at home, in slippers watching TV, or singing songs on alternate days, or whether a strong diplomatic strategy will be made to return the old name, that which belongs to us and which the people are looking for. The people gave the mandate and the people say that the name Macedonia is theirs.
Source: New Macedonia
