Kammenos rejects Kotzias’s ‘bad’ Macedonia name deal

In his comments on Tuesday, Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader and Defense Minister Panos Kammenos rejected as "bad" the Macedonia name deal signed by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and pledged to obstruct its approval.

"For me, the deal is bad, I don't accept it and will try to block it," he said.

"In order for the procedures to be launched for FYROM's accession to NATO, all the conditions of the Prespes agreement must be fulfilled,"  Kammenos said, referring to the accord signed between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the Prespes lake district last month.

Those conditions include a referendum in FYROM, changes to the country's constitution and formal ratification of the deal," he said.

"There is no future for Skopje in NATO if the agreement is not ratified," he said, adding that, "as far as Greece is concerned I will make sure that the deal will not be ratified without the approval of the Greek people."

"The expectations that Zaev is trying to cultivate in his country are his own business," Kammenos said, referring to FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

"Someone's wishes are separate from a country's foreign policy and from existing documents," he said.