UNITED NATIONS (ANA/Sp. Goutzanis) - Although he did not agree with the Prespes Agreement, Greece is obliged to honor it, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in New York on Tuesday.
Mitsotakis attended the UN Climate Summit and is attending the meetings of the UN's General Assembly. His meeting with Zaev is part of a series of contacts in New York with western Balkan leaders and American investors.
According to government sources, Mitsotakis told Zaev that he would not have signed the Prespes Agreement himself - concluded in June 2018 by the previous government with North Macedonia - but as it is now part of international law Greece is obliged to respect it. He also told Zaev that as the main opposition leader at the time, he did whatever he could to prevent its ratification at the Greek parliament.
Mitsotakis called on Zaev to avoid delays in meeting the obligations of the agreement, especially in those relating to trademark protection.
Zaev said his government was committed to avoiding delays, and to implement all open issues as fast as possible, on the path to EU accession. The EU supports North Macedonia's accession for all western Balkan countries and the issue will be on the agenda of the upcoming EU summit meeting. He also added that the implementation of the agreement will boost Greek investments in his country, while Mitsotakis said that the lack of the agreement in the past did not prevent that from happening.
Sources also said the meeting was friendly and both leaders committed to their obligations respectively.