The Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, Bujar Osmani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Dimitrov met today with Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany as part of their working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.
“This year North Macedonia is the success story of the region and Europe. Therefore the favourable momentum must be used and enforced with a decision to open accession negotiations in June. This will be a confirmation of the historic turnaround we have achieved in relations with our neighbours and will provide a strong impetus for the domestic reform agenda. But it will also be an indispensable signal that the European perspective is real and achievable and that Brussels and the member-states objectively recognise and encourage the positive examples in the region”, Minister Dimitrov said.
“Germany has traditionally been a friendly country of North Macedonia, with whom we foster a partnership relation but the country is also a strong supporter of the EU enlargement policy and the membership of Western Balkan countries, as witnessed by the initiation of the Berlin Process, dedicated to connectivity, good neighbourly relations, regional cooperation and European integration”, Deputy Prime Minister Osmani said, noting the country’s reform progress in the implementation of the reform 3-6-9 Plan and Plan 18, as the benchmarks in the country’s reform progress. “The fact that the country is in a pre-election period, when the adoption of laws is put on hold, creates room to focus on the institutions in achieving the so-called track-record or visible results and successful examples that demonstrate the substantial progress of the implemented reforms”, Osmani added, referring to the upcoming European Commission’s report and voicing expectation that it will reflect the country’s reform progress.
As part of their working visit to Berlin, Deputy Prime Minister Osmani and Minister Dimitrov are set to participate in the briefing before the Committee on EU at the German Bundestag where they will brief on the course of implementing the political obligations stemming from the Prespa Agreement and the Treaty on Good Neighbourliness with Bulgaria, as well as on the progress in implementing reforms in areas foreseen in last year’s EU summit conclusions, as the key criteria for this year’s summit in June when a confirmation of the decision to open negotiations with the EU is expected.
Deputy PM of RNM and FM Dimitrov previously met with MP Johann Wadephyl and held an official meeting with the CDU president, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
