Kotzias laments EU snub for North Macedonia

Ex-foreign minister Nikos Kotzias, the architect of the Prespes accord between Greece and North Macedonia, has slammed the “irresponsible” European Union leaders for failing to give the Balkan state a date to start talks on joining the bloc.

“I admit I believed I had thought of all possible scenarios regarding the Prespes agreement,” Kotzias tweeted on Saturday over the name deal that unblocked North Macedonia’s path toward EU and NATO accession.

“But I did not take into adequate consideration the shortsighted, irresponsible, visionless and unstrategic policy of EU ‘leaders’ who have not realized what Europe is running into over Brexit, Syria, Bosnia, Kosovo and the East Mediterranean,” he said.

Also on Saturday, North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev called for an early election in the face of the EU decision.