On occasion of May 9 - Europe Day, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sent Wednesday a congratulating note to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"Let me congratulate Europe Day, the day symbolizing European unification and aspiration for permanent peace and prosperity of our continent. The bold ideas of EU's founding fathers have transformed Europe and inspired its people to build a common space of reconciliation, solidarity and cooperation by nurturing their traits, traditions and cultural values. Today, the European Union represents a symbol for democracy, rule of law, respect of human rights and economic freedoms, something to which all Balkan states aspire, including the Republic of Macedonia".

According to Gruevski, Macedonian citizens highly appreciate the European Commission's support to the country's Union integration, including the Commission's commitment to the opening of accession negotiations.

"The recently launched high-level accession dialogue with the Commission brings positive dynamics in the Euro-integration process, and I am convinced it will result in concrete achievements and results, primarily beneficial for our citizens, but at the same time strengthening Macedonia's position in the accession process, as well as providing an added value to the arguments that talks with Macedonia should start as soon as possible", says PM Gruevski.