In response to a question about French President Emmanuel Macron’s blockade in October to North Macedonia’s EU accession process, as part of Tuesday’s ‘NATO Engages’ conference in London, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said the decision had caused great disappointment among Macedonian citizens. “It was really unfair for us, we’ve been a candidate country for fifteen […]
German Ambassador to Skopje Thomas Gerberich said the reason for the delay in the start of accession negotiations did not lie in North Macedonia and Albania but in enlargement skepticism. Ambassador Gerberich told conference “Transition of Legal Systems: 30 years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall” at the Skopje-based Faculty of Law that the […]
French Ambassador to Serbia Jean-Louis Falconi said his country had “no reserves” regarding the EU accession of Western Balkan countries, adding that certain criteria must be fulfilled. “On the issue of opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, I must say these countries have made exceptional efforts, especially with the signing of the Prespa […]
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn again sharply criticized France’s negative position and the refusal of the EU leaders to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, saying the consequences for both countries and the region could be catastrophic. Hahn in the interview with APA news agency said that negative decision of EU leaders […]
Mid-October, i.e. before Brussels’ decision to (not) get a date for accession negotiations with the EU, turned out not to be the deadline for adopting the prosecution law. The political parties are blaming their political opponents, accusing them of failing to pass the law, which, while undermined by the ruling of the European powers, is […]
Bulgaria believes that postponing the start of European Union membership talks with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania would be a real mistake and would destabilise the region, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said. Zaharieva was speaking in an interview with Bulgarian National Television on the eve of the October 17 and 18 meeting of […]
The European Union should now take a decisive step and decide on a start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President-Designate of the European Commission (EC), said at a meeting Thursday in Brussels. It will also send a strong message to the other countries in the […]
“We are prepared, both at political and institutional level. Any delay would be interpreted as a negative decision, producing negative effects and the citizens, all those that supported the implementation of the Prespa Agreement, would be left deeply disappointed,” PM Zoran Zaev told a news conference Wednesday alongside EU’s Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement […]
The two-day EU leaders summit is to begin on Thursday afternoon in Brussels to discuss a number of important issues, including the opening of accession talks with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania. The EU failed to reach a compromise on the issue for a year and a half, mainly because of France’s opposing, […]
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and EC President Donald Tusk jointly concluded Wednesday night that EU leaders at Thursday’s meeting will try to reach consensual conclusion on starting accession negotiations with North Macedonia. At the meeting of Zaev and Tusk held in Brussels, it was concluded that the Republic of North Macedonia and the […]
“The Prespa Agreement is central to plans for the country’s future. It is also the essence of your youth ambitions and what we can do together in the years to come. It is a simple, clear and modest message that I want to send you. I cannot take your place because you vote independently in […]
EU ministers failed to reach a decision approving the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, Finnish EU Affairs Minister Tytti Tuppurainen told a news conference Tuesday in Luxembourg after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Outgoing EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that it was not a moment of glory for Europe, […]
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev remains optimistic about the country getting a date to start EU negotiations. According to him, the issue will be handed over to the EU leaders to decide. Whatever the outcome, there won’t be early elections, said Zaev. “French President Emmanuel Macron will like to elaborate the new methodology. It doesn’t […]
The European Union risks losing its influence in the Western Balkans if it fails to send a clear signal for the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn told Austrian news agency APA. “If we do not send a clear signal today or […]
Germany’s position is crystal clear. We support opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth said on Tuesday. “Our position is based on the voting of the German Bundestag. The European Union has committed itself to peace, stability, democracy and reconciliation in the Western Balkans, which […]
Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok reiterated his country’s position that North Macedonia is more prepared than Albania for the start of EU accession negotiations. Ahead of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg focusing on the launch of accession negotiations with Skopje and Tirana, Blok said the Netherlands believes each country should be judged […]
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev remains an optimist that the European Council will reach a positive decision over a date for the start of EU accession negotiations and believes there’ll be a definite answer on October 17 and 18. “I remain an optimist because we have all the arguments in the world to get […]
In a joint open letter titled “Let’s move forward in the Western Balkans,” the Czech, Polish, Slovak and Hungarian foreign ministers urge the EU to make a bold decision for start of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania. “As the EU decides whether to start accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, it is […]
Greece’s Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis warned against the opening of EU negotiations with only one candidate country. “Due to the presence of an Albanian element in the region, decoupling and opening of accession talks with only one candidate country could pave the way for destabilization on our northern border,” Varvitsiotis said Wednesday […]
The EU accession negotiations are like the Tour de France – a long, winding and hard road ahead, said Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg on Monday. “I can compare this process to the Tour de France. It is not important who is on the starting grid, there are many stages and a long road ahead, […]
