The Macedonian President refused to sign an agreement on renaming the country
Macedonian President George Ivanov refused to sign the agreement reached on the eve of the Prime Ministers of Macedonia and Greece an agreement on renaming the country. About Ivanov declared today in an address to the nation broadcast by the national television.
In his words, “personal agreement” premiers Zoran zaeva and Alexis Tsipras is “flawed” and undermines the country’s position in the world and does not give legal guarantees of Macedonia, while “Greece was able to achieve their maximalist demands”.
“The Treaty violates the Constitution, laws, destroys state institutions. I’m not going to legitimize the political initiative,” — said the President in address to the nation.
“My position is final and no pressure, blackmail and threats will not make me change the decision. I will not support and will not sign a dangerous agreement,” Ivanov concluded.
Zaev and Tsipras the day before announced that Macedonia and Greece agreed to change the name of the Republic of Macedonia into Northern Macedonia. The new name must be approved by Parliament, the President and the people of the country in a referendum. Also it should write into the Constitution of Macedonia.
Thus should be allowed a debate in Skopje and Athens, which lasted from the time of the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, Greece has consistently blocked the membership of Macedonia in EU and NATO, demanding from the neighboring Republic to change the name to separate it from the Greek region of Macedonia, and avoid any territorial claims. In the UN, Macedonia is still officially called “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.
The agreement changing the name of Macedonia on the eve welcomed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the head of EU diplomacy Federica Mogherini. According to Mogherini, the EU Council in June to approve the recommendation of the European Commission to start accession negotiations with the former Macedonia to the European Union.