Macedonia’s EU perspective, good neighborly relations, regional initiatives and expectations in the forthcoming period, in anticipation of the December Councils, as an opportunity for a positive step in the next phase of the country’s European integration process, was the focus of Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani’s meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi in Brussels.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the interlocutors referred to this year’s European Commission Report, which sent a strong and clear signal that the credibility of enlargement policy remains a key geostrategic investment in peace, stability, security and economic development throughout Europe.

The meeting reaffirmed the positive assessments of the EC for the country in terms of all parameters, including the unequivocal call to the member states, without further delay to complete the discussions on holding the first Intergovernmental Conference, which should be held as soon as possible. 

During the meeting, they also talked about the latest internal political developments in the country, but also about the efforts in overcoming the differences between Bulgaria and Macedonia, as a priority to unblock our country’s path to the EU.

The Government remains strongly committed to the reform agenda and European integration, with additional impetus and proactivity in the development of good neighborly relations, as a key added value in the development of regional stability. Enlargement policy is the best tool for encouraging complex reforms and democratic consolidation, and its transformative power is based on conditionality and objective evaluation of the results in the process through which the values of the EU are reflected, said Osmani.

Várhelyi informed about the European Commission’s efforts to restore European momentum in the region, but also about the implementation of the Economic Investment Plan, which is a strong EU support for economic strengthening of the Western Balkans, enhanced regional cooperation and strengthened connections with EU.