Working groups, set up after an agreement was made by PM Zoran Zaev and VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski at their joint meeting a week ago, will convene Monday in a bid to find a joint solution to the draft-law on the Public Prosecution’s Office and the future status of the Special Public Prosecution (SPO).

The government and the opposition have opposed positions, especially in relation to the future of the special public prosecutor Katica Janeva in the SPO.

Mickoski has repeatedly said that Janeva is unacceptable to them and cannot remain in office, while Zaev said that the special public prosecutor and her team have his full support.

According to announcements, the working groups of the government will be led by Justice Minister Renata Desoska and her deputy, Oliver Ristovski, while that of the opposition will be led by lawyer Toni Menkinovski.

In addition to the Law on Public Prosecutor’s Office, other reform laws are expected to be discussed, including the laws on the National Security Agency and the Coordination of the Security-Intelligence Community. Regarding these two laws, a public debate is scheduled for Monday in the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security.

The ruling coalition expects the Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the laws on the National Security Agency and the Coordination of the Security-Intelligence Community to be adopted by the end of March, that is, before the beginning of the campaign for the presidential elections. According to the government, it is one of the conditions for opening negotiations with the EU at the beginning of June.