Greece Edits Joint Statement With US, Removes Description Of Prespes Agreement

(@FahadShabbir)

Greece Edits Joint Statement With US, Removes Description of Prespes Agreement

The Greek Foreign Ministry sent out on Monday a corrected version of the press release following talks between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Thessaloniki

ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2020) The Greek Foreign Ministry sent out on Monday a corrected version of the press release following talks between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Thessaloniki.

"The United States and Greece reiterate their support for the integration of all the countries of the Western Balkans into European and transatlantic institutions according to the choice of their citizens.� They highlighted Greece's efforts to this end, noting the continued relevance of the historic Prespes Agreement and North Macedonia's subsequent accession to NATO, while underscoring the importance of its consistent implementation in good faith," the original statement read.

In the updated version, the word "historic" was removed from the text.

Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas described the change to Greece's MEGA tv channel as "correcting a negligence," which he said was commonplace with texts like that.

Asked whether he believed the Prespes Agreement was indeed a historic one, Petsas replied "it is a very important agreement," which the Greek ruling New Democracy party tried to prevent but, as a government, "made every possible thing to continue its implementation."

The 2018 Prespes Agreement enshrined the name change of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia into North Macedonia, ending a decades-long strife between this country and Greece, which has an eponymous region, and paving the way for Skopje's accession to the European Union and NATO.

At the same time, the agreement triggered public criticism both in Greece and North Macedonia. The New Democracy party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which back then was in opposition, is still harshly criticizing the agreement, albeit preserving Athens' commitment to implementing it.