English
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski met today in Vienna with the Chancellor of Austria Christian Stocker, in talks that were dominated by the need to advance the European integration of the Balkans.
The key message is that Europe is at a crossroad, where it must choose whether it will react to crises or will it shape the rules. At times of uncertainty, of energy and economic pressures, words are not enough, and concrete decisions and actions are needed. Our determination is clear, to build an economy that creates, and not just spends. To build a state that offers certainty, and not uncertainty, said Prime Minister Mickoski.
Chancellor Stocker said that Macedonia was an example to the entire region and that Austria would like this progress not to be wated. The Chancellor said that EU enlargement is the strongest and most effective instrument of peace, safety and prosperity and that the six Western Balkans countries should be firmly anchored in the European Union.
Prime Minister Mickoski spoke about the blockade from Bulgaria, saying that there is no other such example in the EU integration, fo a country that is being bullied “on the principle – we are inside, you are outside, so you have to accept our conditions that have nothing in common with the Copenhagen criteria”. Mickoski said that due to the bilateral issues, Macedonia’s EU integration turned into a never-ending story.
Our position is very clear. We as a Government are prepared to sit down with our neighbors and talk about overcoming this problem, but for us more important are the guarantees we can receive and we expect from the European Council about our Macedonian identity, and that there will be no additional bilateral issues that someone will open. Lastly, what is to be done with the Macedonian community that, sadly, can’t open even a non-governmental organization in Bulgaria, even after at least 14 verdicts by the European Court of Human Rights in their favor, said Mickoski.
Chancellor Stocker noted that Austria is the biggest foreign investor in Macedonia, with 1.3 billion EUR in investments that have created 9,000 jobs.