North Macedonia's new president Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is threatened with US sanctions, BGNES reported.
On May 12, Siljanovska was sworn in as the head of state of Macedonia, not North Macedonia. With this action, the president violated the Prespa Agreement and the constitution of her own country.
By practically repudiating the treaty with Greece, Siljanovska risks not only violating the legitimacy of his oath and endangering his country's European course, but also becoming the subject of sanctions from Washington on the basis of a presidential decree signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 - Executive Order 14033.
Under the executive order, the US can block assets and transactions for individuals who violate international treaties, effectively preventing peace and security in the Western Balkans.
The sanctions apply to any person "who may be responsible for, or complicit in, or directly or indirectly involved in, a violation or act that impedes or threatens the implementation of any agreement or framework for regional security, peace, cooperation, mutual recognition, or accountability mechanism relating to the Western Balkans, including the 2018 Prespa Agreement; the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement; UN Security Council Resolution 1244; the Dayton Peace Agreement; the International Criminal Tribunal for the Formerly
The Prespa Agreement, as well as the interpretive circular of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, explicitly states that the use of the name "North Macedonia" is mandatory for all state institutions and services, all agencies and structures that are established by law or funded by the state.
Furthermore, any move to revoke the agreement must take into account that North Macedonia has already gained irreversible benefits from it - NATO membership.
BGNES recalls that the Prespa Treaty was signed on 17 June 2018 in Sr. Nivitsi on the shores of the Great Prespa Lake. The agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, Nikos Kodzias and Nikola Dimitrov, in the presence of Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev. The agreement put an end to the long-standing dispute over Macedonia's name between the authorities in Skopje and Athens.
The signing was attended by UN Special Representative Matthew Nimitz, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn. /BGNES
