German FM urges Europeans to back Prespes agreement

Visiting German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas joined the long list of Western officials voicing their support for the Prespes agreement signed between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia over the latter’s name in June.

In an interview with Kathimerini, Maas said the deal is a “new page” for Greece and “good news” for both countries and all of Europe, and urged “all Europeans” to back it.

Meanwhile, internal rumblings over the deal in junior coalition partner Independent Greeks (ANEL) continued on Wednesday, with a senior MP reiterating that he will not toe the party line on the issue.

Thanasis Papachristopoulos repeated his intention to have nothing to do with bringing down the government if the name deal goes to Parliament as ANEL leader Panos Kammenos has threatened. ANEL spokesman Theodoros Tosounidis took a swipe at Papachristopoulos, saying that “he knew the party’s values before he joined.”