Nikovski: A review of the Prespa Agreement is next, crucial for a new period in foreign policy to begin

Former Macedonian ambassador Risto Nikovski is convinced that North Macedonia is facing a review of both the Prespa Agreement and the agreement with Bulgaria, and he emphasizes that it is crucial for the country to embark on a new period in foreign policy that will take into account national interests.

After Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, known as an opponent of the Prespa Agreement with Greece that resolved the decades-long name dispute, was elected as the President of North Macedonia, there is an open question of whether the new government in Skopje could reconsider or question the implementation of the Prespa Agreement.

"First, we must remember that Macedonia was renamed in a violent and uncivilized manner and under threats, summed up in the message – first the name, then EU membership. The second important point is that there are no permanent agreements, international or otherwise. Third, former US President Lincoln said that nothing done improperly was finished. Therefore, a review of the Prespa Agreement and the agreement with Bulgaria, in one way or another, is absolutely necessary because it's just about the state's identification, and no one can dispute that anywhere," Nikovski says for Kosovo Online.

When asked about the potential consequences on the international stage of the "defiant" behavior of the new government, specifically the president at the inauguration, and whether it is pandering to the public or signaling a policy shift, he responds that it is indeed a signal of a serious and radical shift in Macedonian foreign policy.

"In the past six to seven years, the Macedonian state has been humiliated, insulted, frankly 'spat on.' All of that must change," Nikovski asserts.

He explains that the message from the new president was sent to Washington, Brussels, Sofia, and Athens, but adds that it was not just hers; it was also a message from a huge number of voters in the country, which means those to whom it was addressed must also understand it.

"Reducing it to Macedonia is not just our longstanding historical name but also according to the Constitution. So, manipulations that the Constitution was violated are not accurate. Article 123 of the Constitution states that the words Republic of Macedonia are mentioned in the oath, and there is no other description," he says.

He believes it is crucial for a new period in foreign policy to begin in Skopje, one that will take into account the national interests of all citizens, which, he says, the previous government ignored, undermining the long-term interests of the Macedonian people and the country.

"Changes will inevitably follow, and they won't be easy, but they will be in the interest of peace and security in the region because no matter how small we are as a nation, denied and susceptible to Bulgarization, those efforts will not succeed. And this is just one serious step for our country towards stabilization, the internal situation, and the situation in the entire Balkans," Nikovski concluded.