English
Our path toward the European Union has, unfortunately, been full of unprincipled blockades that brings the integrity of the entire process into question, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski today, during the joint press conference with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Still, we want to believe in Europe, in its values, principles and that the EU recognizes reforms, dedication and results. Our strategic goal is to become part of the EU and we set out on that path 26 years ago. We won the candidate status together with Croatia and in 2006 we together received the positive progress report to open accession talks. Unfortunately, our path took out in a different direction and it turned into bilateralization of the process. Bilateral issues were more important than the Copenhagen criteria and the merit based EU integration, which created enormous frustrations among our citizens. And now we again face such a request. Unfortunately, the previous Government accepted this request, thinking that if they sign on to a blank piece of paper, they will remain a Government for a while longer. They failed to deliver at home, they were burdened with crime and corruption and did not realize that they are just additionally burdening our integration in the EU. Our strategy is different, said Prime Minister Mickoski, insisting that Macedonia will not make further concessions on national identity issues.
We have supported you since the first day. I remember in the early 2000s, when Croatia was a step behind you. Now we have been an EU member state for 13 years. There is no greater example of how unjust the current situation is. It is important that the processes are unblocked and that major steps toward membership are made, said Prime Minister Plenkovic.
Plenkovic also addressed the recent proposals from a number of European countries and from Germany, to integrate the Balkan countries, Ukraine and Moldova in a gradual process, and short of full EU membership. According to Plenkovic, there must not be an abandoning of the individual merit process for the candidate countries and creation of shortcuts for some but not for others, and the open doors should apply to all countries. Plenkovic announced that this new approach toward EU membership will be discussed at the coming EU summits in Brussels and in Montenegro.