Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union expressed its regret that the new president of North Macedonia, President Siljanovska Davkova, did not use the country's constitutional name during the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday. This came in a statement issued in Brussels, adding, “The European Union points out the importance of fully respecting the current legally binding agreements, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece.”
This came after the President of North Macedonia, Gordana Seljanovska Davkova, refrained from pronouncing the new name of her country during her swearing-in on Sunday, which sparked criticism from the European Union and Athens, according to “Russia Today.”
It is noteworthy that the new name “North Macedonia” was approved according to a historic agreement concluded with Greece in 2018.
"I declare that I will exercise the position of President of Macedonia conscientiously and responsibly, and that I will respect the constitution and laws, and that I will safeguard Macedonia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," Gordana Seljanovska Davkova said before parliamentarians and guests at the ceremony.
According to Agence France-Presse, the official text of the swearing-in that the new president read included the name of the country as “North Macedonia,” not just Macedonia. The new president’s failure to use the official name of her country, “North Macedonia,” was met with criticism from Athens.
The Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its choice is “a flagrant violation of the Prespa Agreement and the neighboring country’s constitution, which is in line with its international obligations.”
Skopje concluded a "historic" agreement with Greece during the year 2018 that added the word "Northern" to "Macedonia" to distinguish it from the Greek province of Macedonia, with the aim of settling a long-running dispute with Athens, which for this reason obstructed its neighbor's accession to NATO, and its accession negotiations. European Union
The Greek Foreign Ministry statement added, "Greece categorically declares that the continued progress of its bilateral relations with North Macedonia and the latter's European path depend on the full implementation of the Prespa Agreement, and especially on the use of the constitutional name of the neighboring country."
Local media reported from the Greek Embassy in Skopje that the Greek Ambassador in Skopje left the ceremony held in Parliament to express her protest.
The president's failure to pronounce the new name of her country also sparked criticism from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who, shortly after congratulating the new president, said in a post on the of its binding agreements, including the Prespa Convention.”
The nationalist right-wing candidate, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, was elected in the second round of the presidential elections that took place on May 8, with 65% of the votes, ahead of outgoing Social Democratic President Stevo Pendarovski.