Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said Tuesday the failure to give a date for the Macedonia and Albania’s accession talks would be a political mistake. Ahead of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, FM Asselborn expressed hope that ministers will find a way out of the impasse and give the green light for the start of […]
Michael Roth, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, said Tuesday that Berlin is prepared to give the green light for the start of Macedonia and Albania’s EU accession talks. “The German government is ready to support Albania and Macedonia on their way towards the EU. We are ready to give the green […]
The Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council will propose on Tuesday that Macedonia and Albania be invited to EU accession negotiations, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said Monday. Four out of five EU member states support the idea to extend this invitation now, Zaharieva said, BTA reported. “We have more work to do to convince part of the […]
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev sent Monday a letter to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulating him on his re-election in Turkey. In the note, the Macedonian PM reaffirms the traditionally good relations with Turkey expressing hopes that cooperation will be further improved in all spheres of mutual interest. “The traditionally friendly relations between our two countries for years […]
Authorities in Macedonia have dismissed the possibility for the opening up of refugee camps for people coming from the Middle East. Interior minister Oliver Spasovski said that the country offers transitory centers, where refugees can remain for a short period of time. “We don’t see any reason for this to change. Macedonia cannot be a […]
To expand grounds of discrimination, to improve and to professionalize the Committee for Protection against Discrimination, to include sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds for discrimination, to recognize segregation as new form of discrimination, to increase penalties, etc, is foreseen in the new draft-law on protection against discrimination. The bill was passed by the […]
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev met Monday with the outgoing ambassador of Poland to Macedonia, Jacek Multanowski. Expressing gratitude to Ambassador Multanowski for his engagement, efforts and support, PM Zaev underscored Poland’s role in the democratic processes in Macedonia on its path to fulfilling its Euro-integration objectives, the government said in a press release. Poland and […]
In our opinion, as long as the European Commission started and set a horizon this summer to launch formal negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, we will have to deliver the promise we made, says Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias in an interview with EURACTIV.com. FM Kotzias appeals to all sides to understand that there […]
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that Macedonia’s accession to the Alliance depended on the referendum outcome. “I expect and hope that the heads of state and government can agree to start accession talks, and then we will be able to invite the FYR Macedonia to become a full member if the agreement is […]
Developments in the coming couple of weeks will have broad and long-term effects, hopefully positive, on Macedonia’s security and political environment. Getting a date for the start of EU accession talks and a NATO membership invitation will be an added incentive for enhanced reforms supported by the Parliament, said Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska on Monday. […]
Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said Monday regarding the opening negotiations for Macedonia and Albania that both countries have fulfilled their tasks and EU’s credibility is at stake. “I had breakfast with the Albanian foreign minister. I cannot speak for all 27 countries, but it is not a gift for these countries, this is an […]
Ahead of the General Affairs Council meeting on June 25-26, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has again urged member-states to reward Macedonia’s progress. “The recommendation of the European Commission is to open negotiations with both Skopje and Tirana, this process needs to be merit-based, meaning that when […]
Following the agreement reached with Greece, Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska sends letter to 29 NATO Defence Ministers asking for their support for Macedonia to be extended NATO membership invitation at the July Summit. Sekerinska had phone conversations with some of the Defence Ministers who welcomed the reached agreement and expressed their support for Macedonia’s membership […]
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged France not to block Macedonia’s accession to the NATO and EU. In Saturday’s discussion over the phone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Pompeo urged him to support NATO extending an invitation to Macedonia to join and the EU opening accession talks, following the signing of […]
Macedonia has made huge steps in energy sector reforms in one year, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Koco Angjusev said at the informal meeting of ministers of energy, industry and trade, organised by the Energy Community Secretariat, which was held Saturday in Durnstein, Austria. The meeting, which was also attended by Economy Minister Kresnik Bektesi, was focused on […]
Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, sent PM Zoran Zaev a letter of congratulations on the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece, as well as its ratification in the Macedonian Parliament. “Such an important achievement would not have been possible without […]
Deputy PM for European Affairs Bujar Osmani met Thursday with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Deputy Director General of Middle East and Europe Department, Chie Miyahara. Miyahara briefed Osmani on priorities in the sphere of cooperation within new Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative, Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release. We have successful […]
Macedonia’s Parliament adopted Wednesday the law on ratification of the Final Agreement for the settlement of the differences as described in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993), the termination of the Interim Accord of 1995 and the establishment of a strategic partnership. Lawmakers voted 69-0 to ratify the agreement, while […]
We expect good news next week, Macedonia to start accession talks with the EU. We will help as much as we can, because the country needs to become a full member as soon as possible and the agreement with Greece is only an additional, a strong incentive in this direction, Hungarian Ambassador László Dux and […]
The agreement marks the beginning of the end of uncertainty for Macedonia and represents dignified and acceptable solution for both sides, with which the Macedonian identity and language is permanently confirmed, PM Zoran Zaev said Wednesday prior to start of parliament’s session at which name agreement with Greece should be ratified. “We have an agreement […]
