Today, we are all proud of another great success of our country and of the policies in achieving our strategic priority – the EU membership. EU Ambassador to Macedonia Samuel Žbogar presented the tenth positive European Commission’s Progress Report on our progress towards the EU, including recommendation to open accession negotiations.

Today we have received the most positive report ever since we are a candidate country for membership, which is 14 years, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said after receiving the EC report from EU Ambassador Samuel Zbogar in the presidential Villa Vodno.

He said that everyone, the Government, the Parliament, all the political parties and groups that have embedded in the constitutional changes and reforms, the whole society and the citizens have contributed to getting a clear recommendation to open EU accession talks.

We have worked very hard and we have results. We were pleased to receive all the positive evaluations that dominate the report, but we also carefully noted all the remarks that will help us to be even better and more successful, said Zaev.

He reminded of the statement of EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn who said that the Republic of Macedonia continues with the reform progress and is a positive example for other countries in the region, but also about the power of EU attraction.

He stressed that the conclusion of last June was a strong incentive for everyone in the country to do their job.

Last year, he added, we got homework and we were told first you deliver, and then we will deliver.

He said that that the country has done its homework and that it is fully prepared for the start of the negotiations.

It’s Europe’s turn to open negotiations based on our merits.. The opening of EU accession negotiations is the only guarantee for maintaining domestic stability and maintaining the reform momentum in North Macedonia with positive effects for the entire region of the Western Balkans, emphasized Zaev.