The Prespa Agreement offers a historic opportunity for Macedonia and for strengthening the good-neighborly relations, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says in a letter to Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. ‘On 30 September a vast majority – over 90 percent – of those who took part in the referendum voted ‘FOR’ the agreement with Greece. The agreement […]
Macedonia’s economic growth in 2018 is projected at 1.6 percent, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its autumn report “World Economic Outlook”. The previous IMF projection stood at 2.8 percent. The IMF projects a 2.6-percent growth in 2019, rising to 3.4 percent by 2023. In regional terms, Albania, Serbia and Kosovo are set to […]
Citizens who decided to take part at the referendum have given a clear roadmap for Macedonia. Now institutions take over. The Government launched the initiative for constitutional revision and filed it to the Parliament. I expect the Committee on Constitutional Issues to open a debate by tomorrow, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Tuesday. “We […]
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday there is no Plan B for Macedonia, because the country has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of joining NATO if it implements the Prespa Agreement. “I firmly believe that the country must take decisions over its future. It is up to the government and the parliament to take these decisions. To […]
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev met Friday with the new Russian Ambassador to Macedonia Sergey Bazdnikin, wishing him success in advancing the relations between the two countries. Zaev voiced belief that Bazdnikin, as his predecessor, would successfully work on the development of the bilateral relations, the government said in a press release. The meeting focused on […]
If the opposition makes attempts to obstruct Macedonia’s future within the EU and NATO for personal calculations, the ruling coalition will be forced to call for snap elections, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev says in his first interview after the referendum with BHTV1. “We shall do our best to ensure the necessary parliamentary majority for the […]
Western countries are aiming to drag Macedonia into NATO even after a referendum on changing the country’s name was held there, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday, TASS reports. “The continuation of heavy-handed outside interference in Macedonia’s internal affairs is evident,” Zakharova stressed. “The goal is obvious – to drag Macedonia […]
Slobodanka Jovanovska Nezavisen Vesnik correspondent from Brussels NATO begins to doubt that the main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE really wants Macedonia’s membership in the EU and NATO. “What you all should ask VMRO-DPMNE is whether the party is still in favor of the EU and NATO membership. From our perspective, the implementation of the Prespa Agreement […]
NATO and EU should not give up on Macedonia due to results of the referendum, but to continue with their support and cooperation, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated. “We have closely monitored the developments. Finally, this is a decision of the citizens of Macedonia and we must respect that. On the other hand, neither […]
The second meeting of the Joint Multidisciplinary Commission of Experts on Historical and Educational Issues, established in accordance with Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation signed between Macedonia and Bulgaria, will be held on October 4-5 in Skopje. The expert commission is expected to exchange views related to curriculum in the education processes in the […]
NATO has no intention of giving up on Macedonia and waits for the resolution of the constitutional changes in the country. According to the announcements in Brussels, the pre-accession talks continue on October 17 and will for last two days, as it was planned in advance, with the goal of completing this process by January, […]
The referendum in Macedonia was a warning for the EU of the threat posed by anti-European forces in the Western Balkans, Montenegro’s President Milo Djukanovic said Tuesday. On Sunday, more than 90 percent of Macedonians who turned out to vote in a referendum backed a change to their country’s name that would clear the path […]
VMRO-DPMNE held meetings until five o’clock yesterday morning after the referendum on the name. The initial satisfaction from the low voter turnout was soon suppressed by the question – What now? It is clear that the ball is now in the parliamentary court, where the government requires at least nine MPs from the “For United […]
On our part, we will continue to support the great efforts of Mr. Zaev, we will continue to support the need for preserving the momentum of the Prespa Agreement, because we believe it is a waste to miss this chance to solve an issue plaguing the Balkans for nearly 30 years, said a Greek spokesman […]
Vasko Naumovski, Macedonia’s current ambassador to the United States, is returning home on the 31st of this month. President Gjorge Ivanov has already signed the Naumovski Decree on ambassadorial duty. The decision was published in the “Official Gazette” on September 17, together with the decrees on the dismissal of another dozen Macedonian ambassadors, mainly from […]
It will be known in a few days if there is a climate to reach an agreement with the opposition for a two-third majority required for the Parliament to pass the constitutional changes required under the name agreement with Greece, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Monday. According to him, today is the day to digest […]
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, say Monday in a joint statement that an overwhelming majority of those who voted at yesterday’s referendum have supported the Prespa Agreement. “In a peaceful and democratic vote an overwhelming […]
Peter Vanhoutte, former EU mediator in the Przino Agreement talks, has congratulated the majority of citizens who supported the Prespa Agreement at Sunday’s referendum. Vanhoutte calls on the Government not to resign, but to continue the work since “this is your damned duty!” “Don’t waste time and money on early elections again, but engage in […]
With divided evaluations about the success of the third plebiscite voting in the country, yesterday’s referendum day in Macedonia has ended. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev presented it as a successful vote in which nearly 35 percent of the registered voters participated, of whom the vast majority, over 90 percent, voted “for” on the question “Are […]
The prime ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, had a phone conversation after the name referendum ended, according to Greece’s ANA-MPA news agency. It says that Tsipras praised Zaev for his ‘determination and courage to continue to implement the deal,’ MIA reports from Athens. “According to government sources, during the conversation, […]
