Skopje, 6 June 2024 (MIA) - VMRO-DPMNE leader and prime minister-designate Hristijan Mickoski told reporters Thursday that as someone who will head the government he is obliged to respect the Constitution and the laws, noting that this also applies to the Prespa Agreement as part of the legislation.

The prime minister-designate urged that a greater focus be placed on “a deeper analysis of what Greece has fulfilled from the Agreement” instead of emphasizing his “guaranteed human right to use the name Macedonia”.

He said the new government will undertake diplomatic activities to argue and defend the country’s positions over the Prespa Agreement, stressing that they won’t lead “a provocative offensive policy – changing the names of motorways, airports, building monuments” instead, he said, they would build bridges, a stronger economy and mutual cooperation in the economy, tourism, education and culture.

Asked about the statement of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that Mickoski can expect "an unpleasant first experience" at the NATO summit in early July unless he categorically states that he would honor the Prespa Agreement once he becomes prime minister, Mickoski reiterated he doesn’t intend to engage in “Taliban-like behavior” and doesn’t expect anyone else to do so, but also that it would be good to lay out the positions ahead of the Summit.

“As someone who will head the government, I am obliged to respect the Constitution and the laws. And I’ve never had any dilemmas over this, nor will I as long as these laws and this Constitution are in place the way they are. The Prespa Agreement is a part of the Macedonian legislation and the Macedonian Constitution. And there are no dilemmas here. Anyone who is a part of the institutions should respect them, but you can’t ask for the laws and Constitution to be respected while you are violating them. At the same time, I expect us to build good neighborly relations, on a principled, constructive basis, good neighborly relations that befit the 21st century. I have no intentions of engaging in Taliban-like behavior, nor do I expect anyone else to behave like that. My guaranteed human right is a right that is above all laws. And I have no dilemmas over this either. As prime minister, I will respect anything that is related to our legal system and the constitutional order in full,” Mickoski said.

The prime minister-designate said they are abiding by the erga omnes use of the name, but called for a more thorough analysis of how much Greece has fulfilled the Prespa Agreement.

“We are using it erga omnes. Article seven of the Agreement, paragraphs 2 and 3 are very clear. What it means when one party or the other uses the term Macedonia and Macedonian. I would once again like to ask the media here in Macedonia to pay a little more attention to an analysis of what our southern neighbor has fulfilled from the Agreement, while being provoked less by my human right, guaranteed by numerous conventions, to use the term Macedonia, the name of the fatherland in which I was born, and the adjective Macedonian. Let's see what they have done these past six years. Let’s see what they did in the past. What were we supposed to get when the flag was changed, when the banknotes were changed, when the degrading name was used, when the NATO intervention against Milošević’s regime happened – who was the loyal ally and who didn’t allow flyovers. What was happening after the Constitution was amended... Let’s talk about the broader context,” Mickoski said.

Asked whether he would issue a protest note to Athens “for not respecting the Prespa Agreement”, Mickoski noted they aren’t in the institutions yet, but said they would undertake diplomatic activities to argue their positions once they enter the institutions.

“We will defend ourselves. We are prepared to fix this. We won’t lead a provocative offensive policy, we have no intention of changing the names of motorways, airports, building monuments. We want to build bridges, we want to build a stronger economy, cooperation in the field of economy, tourism, education, culture. Neighbors have to be respected, and we will analyze all steps and make our moves carefully. But at the same time, we have no intention of being flatterers, degrading ourselves, while stealing from you, the citizens, on the other hand and acting like despots. Macedonia received a government that needs to be focused on the citizens, and the government officials, I am referring to me personally and the ministers, should be servants of the people,” Mickoski said.