Ivanov refuses to sign agreement with Greece

Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov brought a decision not to sign the Law to ratify the name agreement with Greece.

“In carrying out the post of president of the Republic of Macedonia I always act with responsibility and my rights and obligations I commit within the frameworks of the Constitution, laws and interests of the Republic of Macedonia”, it is said among other things in the written announcement of the presidency.

The presidency's announcement numbers 5 reasons why President Ivanov refuses to sign ratification of the Law on Agreement with Greece, Alsat M broadcasts.

I made my decision because of the following reasons:

1. I have no mandate to sign the decree to declare the Law for ratification of this agreement. One of my policy pillars from the 2014 programme is that I do not accept a change of constitution in order to change the constitutional name.

2. The agreement is out of the framework of resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993) of the United Nations Security Council.

3. The agreement has no constitutional basis and is not ratified in compliance with the constitution.

4. The law for ratification of the Agreement is not in compliance with Article 51, Article 118 and Article 119 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.

5. The agreement falls Macedonia into a state of submission and dependence on other states, namely Greece.

On 17 June, Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his Greek counterpart, Alexis Cipras, signed the Agreement on Changing Macedonia's name in the Republic of Macedonia.