Zoran Zaev, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, said on Thursday he would leave the post if the European Union failed to set a date for opening the membership negotiations with his country this month, the Beta news agency reported.

In an interview with the Belgium paper Soar, Zaev said the EU promised that and that North Macedonia with its reforms, and mainly due to the agreement with Greece on the country’s new name, deserved it.

He said he did not believe in the creation of Greater Albania in case the EU did not give the green light for the start of Albania’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

Zaev added that it would be impossible since NATO, whose member Albania is, would not allow that.

He said that in case Skopje did not get the date for the opening of the accession talks, his Government would lose majority which might pave the way “for the return of nationalism and extremism” that existed before and which would destroy the achieved rights and democratic freedoms.

Zaev added he wouldn’t wait for that to happen but would resign immediately.

He also warned that in case there is no green light for Skopje, the move would imperil the attractiveness to the EU in the whole of the Western Balkans and “strengthen the interest of other powers for the region such as of China and Russia.”