The President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska, said that the Prespa Agreement is a legal act that she will respect, despite that he is a critic of its content, BTA reported.
In response to a journalist's question before an event marking the 20th anniversary of the Center for Research and Policy Making, Siljanovska says that she does not think she is violating the Prespa Treaty with Greece without pronouncing the constitutional name of the country - Northern Republic Macedonia.
„I respected the Prespa Treaty, I still respect it now. I signed the oath (of president) with the current name (of the country), the name from the Treaty of Prespa. However, I believe in freedom of expression, of thought, freedom of self-identification and freedom of self-determination, which can be not only collective but also individual. So for me freedom of thought, as part of the Universal Declaration of Freedoms and Rights, as part of the Convention for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms, as part of the EU Convention on Fundamental Rights, allows people to express themselves and I don't think that I violated the Prespa Treaty”, the media in North Macedonia quoted Siljanovska as saying.
After during her oath in the parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia, as the newly elected president, Siljanovska refused to pronounce the constitutional name of the state, calling it Macedonia, the reactions in Greece and from the international community that this action of hers was a violation of the Treaty of Prespa continues.
The reactions from Greece further intensified, after the statement of the chairman of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristiyan Mitskoski, that it is his human right to call his country as he wants, but the use of the constitutional name will remain “in the communication between the institutions, in accordance with the legal and constitutional provisions”.
Sharp reactions also came from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Yorgos Gerapetritis, who stated that the Prespa Treaty is international and cannot be changed or revised unilaterally, expressing the conviction that “the citizens of North Macedonia would not want to endanger the relations with Greece and the European perspective of the country”.
Outgoing US Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Representative for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said that "The United States expects North Macedonia to continue on the European path.
"We expect the country to continue to be a committed member of NATO, and believe me, they are a committed member of NATO. And we received assurances from all levels of the party leadership of the main party (VMRO-DPMNE), which won the elections, that they will remain committed to the European path," Escobar said, as quoted by "Voice of America".
Without mentioning the constitutional name of the state, Siljanovska's first address, after taking office, at the solemn celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the University “St. Cyril and Methodius“ in Skopje, recalls the site “360 degrees”.
The media in the country also began to pay attention to the fact that the name of the state was not present in the messages sent by Siljanovska's office.
TV Thelma published a photograph from Siljanovska's first visit outside the Republic of North Macedonia, to Rome on May 24, in which she placed a wreath of St. Cyril in the "San Clemente" basilica, on which is written "President Gordana Siljanovska - Davkova", without the name of the country, "only the state flag at the end of the ribbon reminds me of him", the media clarifies, adding that "on the wreath laid by (Bulgarian President) Rumen Radev is clearly written "Republic of Bulgaria".