Bosnjakovski: The national anthem will stay as it is

“All formal welcoming activities including the guard salute, the flower-laying ceremony and playing of the anthems were scrapped because of the delayed landing of the plane of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras,” said Boshnjakovski.

The government spokesman said these activities were cancelled in order to save on time, having in mind the packed agenda.

“The anthem has never been an issue. The Prespa Agreement is in no way reflected on the national anthem. This was confirmed on several occasions in the time of the Prespa Agreement signing, when the national anthem was played before Greek officials, such as the NATO flag raising ceremony in front of the Government, the Greek Independence Day event hosted by the Embassy of Greece in Skopje, as well as the recent handball match between the two countries in Greece. These are examples showing that the anthem was never and will never be challenged,” added Bosnjakovski.