Athens, 26 May 2024 (MIA) — North Macedonia, much like Albania, can only benefit from nurturing good relations with Greece, considering both countries' road to the EU passes through Athens and may encounter problems there, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a newspaper interview, MIA's Athens correspondent reports.

In his extensive interview for the weekly paper Real News, Mitsotakis spoke about the EU elections, domestic and international politics as well as relations with North Macedonia.

"Skopje's breaches regarding the country name are also due to the fact that the Prespa Agreement was a bad deal. I warned our Parliament that it was problematic for Greece's interests, giving nationality and language to our neighbors," Mitsotakis said.

"Even then, when we voted against it, I pointed out that we would have to face this ourselves. But also that, as soon as it was ratified, we would need to implement it. Now here comes Syriza, as usual, recycling the familiar lies that we had allegedly said that when we came to power we would not implement it. Didn't they realize whom their signature would bind?" Mitsotakis said.

The Greek prime minister also commented on the opposition party's "even greater political frivolity" in proposing, at this particular time, that Parliament should ratify the memorandums of cooperation related to the Prespa Agreement.

"In other words, for us to hand over all our negotiating weapons. When the other side is not even asking us to do this. Of course, we will not put the memorandums to a vote. We will wait and see if the new government respects international law as well as its own signature," Mitsotakis said. mr/