English
The Czech Republic supports Macedonia’s membership in the European Union and is ready to do everything necessary for the country to become a member of the Union as soon as possible, said today the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, Petr Macinka, after a meeting with the Macedonian Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski in Ohrid.
At the plenary meeting at the Ohrid villa, Macinka emphasized that Macedonia’s membership in the EU is a priority for the Czech Republic and that the country is ready to share its own experience from the accession process.
It is in our common interest for the European Union to expand with countries that are going through accession negotiations, exactly in the way that your country is doing. Our accession process was not easy, and it took a long time. During that process, we did not do everything correctly, so we have a lot of experience that we can share, so that you do not repeat the mistakes that we made. But all this time we wanted to change our country so that it would be a member of the European Union. We needed to have someone from within who could speak the same language, who had the same view of the world as us, who understood the affairs of the European Union. Now we are in a situation where we are members of the European Union, but I assure Minister Mucunski and all other representatives of Macedonia that we are truly a friendly country, Minister Macinka emphasized.
The Czech Foreign Minister said that Macedonia can count on the Czech Republic as a friendly country and that Prague is following the complexity of the country’s accession process.
But I must assure you that it is our priority goal to see Macedonia in the European Union as soon as possible and we are ready to do whatever is necessary. That is not only important for you, but also for us, said Macinka.
Minister Mucunski stressed that the visit is taking place in a year in which Macedonia celebrates 35 years of independence, and diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic are entering their fourth decade.
In the past decades, we have built relations of sincere friendship, mutual trust and partnership. Today’s visit is exactly that – confirmation of a clear political will not only to maintain this partnership, but to give it new content, said Mucunski.