This follows the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee vote on June 24, which passed the draft report with wide support despite Bulgarian objections. The initial text included direct references to “Macedonian language and identity” and dismissed amendments suggesting “modern” as a qualifier.
According to a November report by local outlet Vecer, the contract follows a competitive tender process that drew bids from five companies, including two Italian firms, one Turkish firm, and one Serbian. Construction is expected to be completed within 34 months of the contract signing.
He said he refers to the country as "Macedonia" and the citizens as "Macedonians," for whom, as he said, he "fights"
The problem with the Balkans is that very often the ghost of nationalism rises again when nobody necessarily expects it, the PM said, and he referreds to North Macedonia.
"I ask for understanding. We have the Prespes Agreement. We changed our country's Constitution, we changed our documents both for the outside and the inside, we even changed the manhole covers. However, when there are two sides to the Agreement, the other side must also show a willingness to cooperate.
The decision of the state and political leadership in North Macedonia not to use “the constitutional name of the country in public speeches domestically” constitutes a “flagrant violation” of the Prespa Agreement, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has said.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a fresh warning at the weekend to the new leadership of North Macedonia that its defiance of the 2019 Prespa Agreement with Greece will block its road to EU membership.
The official website of the president of North Macedonia has removed references to the constitutional name of the country from its homepage, replacing them with the abbreviation "MK" or simply "Macedonia."
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated on Saturday the obligation of North Macedonia’s officials to use the country’s constitutional name in every use, as dictated in a 2018 UN-brokered agreement between Athens and Skopje
North Macedonia's new prime minister, Christian Mickoski, has followed the line of the new president, Gordana Silianovska, in launching an attack on the Prespa Agreement.
Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova took the oath as the first female president of North Macedonia on Sunday, igniting a fresh diplomatic dispute with neighbouring Greece right at her inauguration ceremony.
“For North Macedonia to continue its successful path on EU accession it is paramount that the country continues on the path of reforms and full respect for its binding agreements, including the Prespa Agreement,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on X social media platform.
Mitsotakis said that Greece can assist in this direction due to the infrastructure it is developing on the energy map and its position. He stressed Greece’s role in benefitting energy security in the region, and thus highlighted its leading role in southeastern Europe.
