We are entering an important period during which we are awaiting serious steps forward to realization of one of our essential strategic goals – European Union membership and we have the right to expect a decision for commencement of accession negotiations within the forthcoming months, after spending 15 years in the waiting room bearing the status candidate country, underlined the President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Oliver Spasovski, on today’s shared press conference with the Euro-Commissioner on Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi who paid a one-day working visit to our country.
President Spasovski and Euro-Commissioner Varhelyi had a tête-à-tête meeting and afterwards, they led the discussion on the bilateral meeting of the delegations of the Government of North Macedonia and the European Commission.
“We will do nothing to endanger our achievement which was recognized by the European Commission last year when the European Council was recommended to immediately and unconditionally start the accession negotiations. The recommendation came as a result of successfully implemented reforms and as a result of the bold decisions for resolution of misunderstandings with our neighbours; these decisions made our EU membership aspirations a reality. We expected the announced decision in October last year after our country had made everything in its power to start negotiations”, said Prime Minister Spasovski on the press-conference.
Although we were disappointed with the decision, underlined Spasovski, we accepted that the strategic mistake will be soon corrected and that our results will be valued according to merits, although postponed.
He expressed gratitude for the public statements issued by the President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen and the Commission Varhelyi that the decision for commencement of accession negotiations should be made as soon as possible and that the program of the new European Commission is a new, great hope for the WB countries and for reinforcement of our positions as future EU member states.
“The European Commission has always been and remains our first, sincere and honest ally in our endeavours for joining EU. We expect that this union will continue with the new composition of the European Commission. We deem the process for EU standards as an especially important one and that is why we are even more motivated to conduct reforms. We highly regard the fact that after the European Council in October 2019, the European Commission undertook an obligation and under the leadership of our guest, the new Commissioner, and towards the end of this month, a document will be presented, proposing the amended methodology for accession negotiations”, said President of the Government, Oliver Spasovski.
Furthermore, he underlined that our country is interested in seeing the methodology published as soon as possible and in reaching a consensus for opening of negotiations.
On the press-conference Prime Minister Spasovski said that he informed the Euro-Commissioner Varhelyi on the preparations for fair, democratic and successful parliamentary elections.
“Our country is an extremely significant period when smooth functioning of all institutions is expected. In this period the personal and institutional political and professional accountability should be emphasized; contribution should be provided for the benefit of the citizens and for the development and progress of North Macedonia and we need to carefully monitor the decisions of the European Council in relation to commencement of EU membership negotiations, in order not to put them at risk”, underlined Spasovski while adding that all political factors in the Government should be up to their task and the accountability they have in the transitional Government until the early parliamentary elections that are to be conducted on April 12th 2020.
The Euro-Commissioner on Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi confirmed that the EU enlargement is a priority for the new Commission and that they estimate that North Macedonia and Albania are ready to negotiate. Furthermore, he added that he will insist for the decision to be adopted together with the new methodology ahead of the Summit in Zagreb; they are to be published together with an economic growth plan for the region in order to start the process for lowering the gap in the standard of life in the countries of the region compared to the EU member states.
In the very end, Varhelyi underlined that the Republic of North Macedonia showed progress and constant dynamics in the reforms and that he proposed the European Parliament to award the country for functional use of EU funds with 50 million EUR for support of reforms implementation.
Below you will find the address of Prime Minister Spasovski:
Today, on behalf of the Government and in my personal name, I welcome our guest, Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi. This is his first visit to our country since he has been appointed Euro-Commissioner on Neighbourhood and Enlargement within the European Commission.
I am convinced that our meeting and communication will intensify since we are entering an important period during which we are awaiting serious steps forward to realization of one of our essential strategic goals – European Union membership.
We sincerely hope and I believe we have the right to expect that the accomplishment of our goal will start with a decision for commencement of accession negotiations within the forthcoming months, after spending 15 years in the waiting room bearing the status candidate country.
We will do nothing to endanger our achievement which was recognized by the European Commission last year when the European Council was recommended to immediately and unconditionally start the accession negotiations.
The recommendation came as a result of successfully implemented reforms and as a result of the bold decisions for resolution of misunderstandings with our neighbours; these decisions made our EU membership aspirations a reality.
We expected the announced decision in October last year after our country had made everything in its power to start negotiations.
Although we were disappointed with the decision, we accepted that the strategic mistake will be soon corrected and that our results will be valued according to merits, although postponed.
We appreciate the public statements issued by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the Commissioner Varhelyi that the decision for accession negotiations should be made as soon as possible. The program for a new European Commission is a new and great hope for the Western Balkan countries, as well as for reinforcement of our positions as future member states.
The European Commission has always been and remains our first, sincere and honest ally in our endeavours for joining EU. We expect that this union will continue with the new composition of the European Commission. We deem the process for EU standards as an especially important one and that is why we are even more motivated to conduct reforms.
We highly regard the fact that after the European Council in October 2019, the European Commission undertook an obligation and under the leadership of our guest, the new Commissioner, and towards the end of this month, a document will be presented, proposing the amended methodology for accession negotiations.
North Macedonia is interested in publication of the methodology and hopes that this proposal will satisfy the requests and expectations of France. Furthermore, we hope that this document will implement the views of the member-states who have been enlargement friendly and who were not opposed to start negotiations in October last year.
Of course, our interest is to avoid new disagreements and to reach a consensus for opening negotiations as soon as possible. To us, it is of key importance that the improvement of negotiations methodology and the adoption of the decision for commencement of negotiations with North Macedonia are separate, but complementary processes.
During our meeting I have informed the Euro-Commissioner Varhelyi for the work of the transitional Government and for preparation of fair, democratic and successful parliamentary elections.
Our country is an extremely significant period when smooth functioning of all institutions is expected.
In this period the personal and institutional political and professional accountability should be emphasized; contribution should be provided for the benefit of the citizens and for the development and progress of North Macedonia.
This is time when we need to organize fair and democratic elections. We need to finish the necessary activities for full-fledged membership of our country within NATO and to monitor carefully the decisions of the European Council in relation to commencement of EU membership negotiations, in order not to put them at risk.
We all should be aware that each procedure, each statement that is questioning the achievements in relation to the neighbours and our domestic and international obligations, endanger and question our Euro-Atlantic perspective for which a national consensus has been reached long time ago.
I sincerely hope that all political factors participating in the country will be up to the task and will understand the responsibility that we have in the transitional Government until the early Parliamentary Elections that will take place on April 12th 2020.
