Greek Committee endorses Law on NATO Protocol for Macedonia

The Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs of the Greek Parliament concluded the 5-hour session on Thursday by endosing the Law on Ratification of the Protocol for Accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO. The draft law of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs was submitted to the Greek Parliament on Wednesday. It was signed by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos, Defence Minister Evangelos Apostolakis and Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos. In his address at the session, Greek MP from new Democracy Giorgos Koumoutsakos, one of the rapporteurs on the law for ratification of the Protocol, said that his party will not support the Protocol when it will be put up for voting in the Greek Parliament. “This Protocol is a result of the Prespa Agreement, with which Greece allows another country to name its identity and language as Macedonian, something no other government has done before. The Prespa Agreement in fact opens room for irredentism on behalf of Skopje, and the citizens of Greece will never support it,” Koumoutsakos said, asking the government of Greece to explain the true benefits for Greece from the Prespa Agreement. The law is now forwarded to the Greek Parliament, where requires a majority of 151 votes out of 300 MPs.