Athens, 20 May 2024 (MIA) - We are waiting for the new Government of North Macedonia, for it to be sworn-in, so we can hear their positions, but the initial signs aren’t good, they aren’t encouraging. We respect the internationally ratified agreements, but above all we expect the other side to do so, said Greek Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis at a regular media briefing Monday, in response to a question posed by MIA’s Athens correspondent.

Asked what would happen if the other side doesn’t do what Greece expects, Marinakis said once they see the official position of the new government, they “will act accordingly, on the basis of the national interests”.

“I will reiterate, even though we are talking about a bad agreement that we inherited from the previous government, from the very beginning we said we are obliged to respect it and that we will respect it, but this is a task that has two sides. If this doesn’t happen on the other side, even though it is what the international community and all European factors who are explicitly defending our positions want, then we will assess our actions,” Marinakis said and added that in no case will they rush “as the opposition wishes to do”.

The spokesperson also spoke about the memoranda which are yet to be ratified in the Parliament, describing them as a “negotiating weapon” that they don’t intend to give up on.

“Evidently we are waiting on the other side, the initial signs aren’t good, they aren’t encouraging and as the Prime Minister also said, we are respecting the continuity of the state, we respect the internationally ratified agreements, but above all we expect the other side to do so,” Marinakis said.

Over the statement by VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski that he expects to quickly meet with Mitsotakis, asked by MIA how likely it is for such a meeting to happen, Marinakis said they are waiting for the government to be formed and are unable to say anything specific for now.

Regarding the positions of two New Democracy MPs over a potential scrapping of the Agreement, Marinakis categorically noted that there is a difference between the wishes of some and the actions of the Government, stating that even when the party was in the opposition it explicitly clarified that if ratified, the Agreement will have to be implemented.