Former Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev defended the 2018 name-change deal between Greece and North Macedonia, saying its practical significance is not visible in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In an interview with the Greek news website iEidiseis, Zaev said he is proud North Macedonia is on the side of peace and security, together with NATO and the entire democratic world.
“And I’m proud to live in a safe country, a country that participates in the most powerful security shield and a country that is protected by the most powerful alliance in the world,” Zaev said.
He added that Prespa Agreement turned the problem into a solution, the conflict into cooperation, and the hostility into an alliance.
“Before 2018, were we neighbours who did not listen to each other, who did not communicate and who had a hostile attitude towards each other? Are we today neighbours who are together in NATO, who support and protect each other? Are the companies from North Macedonia and Greece cooperating more today than before? Is Greece guarding the sky over North Macedonia, and finally, Greece has no problem with the fact that we are Macedonians from North Macedonia?” he said.
Regarding Russia’s aggression, he said there are no excuses to witness military invasions in 2022 on a democratic and sovereign country, on a population that has decided to create its own independent state.
“The world will never see the Russian authorities the same way again. Russia chose violence and caused an avalanche of sanctions from the democratic world. It is not good to take action to force the world to distance itself from you. That’s the worst thing you can do to your own people,” he concluded.
