Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you for your understanding, as my schedule prevented me from being here the last time.
Allow me to give you a direct answer, as usual, and not to attempt to underestimate either your intelligence or the intelligence of the Parliament.
First of all, both your party and the New Democracy party have very specific reservations, focusing on specific articles, on specific wording and on specific issues of the Prespa Agreement.
However, you rightly mentioned Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ clear position that if the Agreement is ratified, New Democracy will adhere to it.
The Greek government is not allowed to take a revisionist stance on agreements that the country has signed, regardless of governments.
Beyond that, to answer your question whether the country is satisfied with the implementation of the Prespa Agreement, I want to tell you that there are issues regarding the Prespa Agreement. There are issues with regard to text books, there are issues with regard to trade marks, brand names. There are also concerns with the elimination of North Macedonia’s attempt at that time to appear as the successor to the Empire of Alexander the Great, what is called antiquization. That continues to be a concern.
But if the question concerns the situation in general, what I understand - and this is still my impression as I was in Skopje only the day before yesterday - is that an effort is being made on the other side, despite problems, despite the fierce reactions from their own internal opposition, which has an absolutely counterproductive attitude, but an effort is being made nonetheless.
On the issue of air policing, which you raised, the reality is that for quite some time it is the Hellenic Air Force that has been doing the air policing, despite the fact that the agreement has yet to be ratified by the Hellenic Parliament.
Greece is also providing all the assistance it can offer to North Macedonia, as well as to Albania, to facilitate their accession process; subject, of course, to the well-known conditionality in both cases.
Now, as regards the timing, I will answer you clearly and in one sentence. They [the memoranda] will be submitted when the national interest and the Parliament’s program allow it. There is indeed a delay and I am aware of it. You are correct in noticing this. You were right to refer to the timing and you were right to refer to the fact that there is also a national interest.
On the other hand, there is the broader consideration of the national interest which every government has the right to make and in that sense I reiterate that they will come up for a vote when this government sees fit.
Thank you very much.
2nd intervention
My dear colleague, usually it is not wise to thank opposition colleagues for their tone during debates, or, to put it another way, it is not “catchy”. You know, usually cockfighting is much more the trend, but, nevertheless, I am obliged to thank you both for the tone of your second intervention and for the way you view the issue of the country's relations, both with North Macedonia and with the Balkans in general.
Because we are indeed called upon to address this question: Is the existence, stability, friendly relations with Greece and the European path of North Macedonia in the interest of our country or not?
And I think the vast majority of colleagues, regardless of their past, have responded that it is in the best interests of our country.
And I must also thank you for your remark, which is not made on behalf of your party, of course, but reflects your party’s spirit of support for the broader effort to establish close relations with this country; which, I have to say, has made very important steps and friendly moves towards Greece. It has adopted all the European positions towards Turkey, as has Albania, by the way. And, of course, it serves as our bridge to the Balkans, as you eloquently said.
Greece is a country that has an absolute interest in stability in the Balkans. It has an absolute interest in preventing revisionism in the Balkans. It has an absolute interest in preventing border changes in the Balkans. It has every reason, motivated by both its values and its national interest, to promote the idea of multicultural societies in the Balkans.
It has every reason to prevent the emergence of a hive - or even more than one - of Islamic fundamentalism in the Balkans; either near us or further north in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this regard, I will be touring the Balkans during this month and next one, in consultation with a number of other countries with which we are in constant contact; because the situation in the Balkans is not ideal.
And I'm not talking about North Macedonia; I'm talking about Bosnia and Herzegovina, for instance, where the situation is causing enormous concern.
So that is why we must always keep in mind the broader national interest, and I am not referring to you, I am referring to all of us.
I believe that the broader national interest fully coincides with the European course of this entire region, and this is the path we need to follow.
Thank you so much.
May 27, 2022