Greece has issued a stern warning to North Macedonia, saying that any attempt to reinterpret the 2018 Prespa Agreement is unacceptable after Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski revived contentious claims regarding "Macedonian" identity and language.
The Foreign Ministry responded sharply to Mr. Mickoski’s assertion that his country must secure "clear guarantees" from Brussels that "Macedonian identity and language are inviolable" as a condition for European Union accession.
"Any effort to distort or alter the content of the Prespa Agreement will not be accepted," the ministry stated, emphasizing that the accord—which settled the country's constitutional name as North Macedonia—is fully binding under international law.
Mr. Mickoski, speaking to Sitel TV, insisted that once his country joins the bloc, "the Macedonian language will be an official language."
Athens rejected this rhetoric, warning that there are "no de facto situations" in international treaties.
The statement underscored that full compliance with the deal is a strict prerequisite for maintaining good neighborly relations and unlocking North Macedonia’s stalled EU path.
The diplomatic friction highlights the fragility of regional stability as Mr. Mickoski’s government continues to test the boundaries of the historic agreement, which previously paved the way for Skopje’s entry into NATO.