Artan Grubi, an MP and member of the Albanian DUI party that is part of North Macedonia's ruling coalition, said the Prespes agreement cannot be reversed, during a media interview on Monday.
Grubi made the comments during an interview with Greek new agency ANA, in reference to the recents Presidential elections results in the neighbouring country which saw the election of the ruling coalition-backed candidate Stevo Pendarovski as President.
"The Prespes Agreement is here to stay and this is the new reality. The results of the elections have shown us that the citizens have accepted this and given us a green light to continue reforms," he added.
"The result of the elections amounts to acceptance of the Prespes Agreement, the constitutional changes and the new reality. The new name, North Macedonia, is a 'fait accompli' and a matter that is concluded both on the domestic political scene but also on the regional and EuroAtlantic [scene]," he said.
The agreement is now apart of North Macedonia's constitution and the result of the election showed that the great majority of the electorate understood that this was the way forward, Grubi said.
"Only with good, friendly relations between Athens and Skopje can we continue to cooperate, to have good neighbourly relations and progress toward Europe with a common step," he said.
He also highlighted the contribution of the Albanian community in North Macedonia to the result and expressed his conviction that Pendarovski will be "a president of all the citizens".
Grubi acknowledged that he would be disappointed if North Macedonia does not get a date for the start of accession negotiations at the European Union summit in June but stressed that "we will not give up" and also voiced Skopje's gratitude for Athens' support of the country's efforts to join the EU.
Noting that his country had resolved long-standing disputes with its neighbours while also bringing about a reconciliation within its borders, he said the EU should "show courage and leadership" and agree to begin accession talks.
