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Athens on Thursday issued an official response to recent statements by the prime minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, who indicated that Skopje does not consider the name dispute with Greece as resolved.<\/p>\n
Mickoski, Greece\u2019s Foreign Ministry said, is trying to \u201cbring an issue back to the fore that has, as we all know, been settled once and for all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was responding to comments made by Mickoski at a gathering of fellow North Macedonians in New Jersey on Wednesday, during his visit to the United States for the inauguration of President Donald Trump.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to start winning in Washington, Brussels, Berlin, London, Paris, Rome if we want the Macedonian issue to finally arrive at its conclusion. Our issue is not settled. It\u2019s been smoldering for centuries and it still exists,\u201d the prime minister of North Macedonia was quoted by the Republika newspaper as saying.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreece reminds that further progress in its bilateral relations with North Macedonia and the smooth continuation of the neighboring country\u2019s European path require full respect for the Prespa Agreement and, of course, refraining from irredentist declarations and claims against neighboring countries,\u201d the response from Athens added.<\/p>\n
The statement referred to the landmark agreement signed between Athens and Skopje in 2018 settling the decades-old name dispute.<\/p>\n
Since assuming office last summer, Mickoski, a nationalist, has often violated the terms of the agreement by referring to his country as \u201cMacedonia\u201d instead of using its constitutional name, North Macedonia.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n