Dimitrov and Osmani attend Katrougalos’ working breakfast for EU Foreign Ministers

North Macedonia’s FM Dimitrov briefed his European colleagues on the latest achievements in implementing the Prespa Agreement as part of the country’s European integration efforts, the official press release reads.

FM Dimitrov also expressed his general expectations that the EU member countries would decide in June to greenlight talks with North Macedonia.

“Our job,” FM Dimitrov said, “is to convince you of the opportunity North Macedonia can offer the EU today.

“Our goal is to transform our country and to adopt European ways of functioning of the system.

“But we need EU’s transformative power to build a European, stable, prosperous Balkan region.”

Deputy PM Osmani reported on the progress of reforms in line with the government’s Plan 18 reflecting the recommendations by the Council of the EU given in June 2018.

Sustainable reforms in priority areas—the judiciary, security and intelligence services, the public administration, and the fight against organized crime and corruption—will affect the EU’s decision to set a date for starting talks for North Macedonia’s membership to the Union.

“North Macedonia,” Osmani said, “despite achieving extraordinary success in addressing open political issues, such as the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Friendship Treaty with Bulgaria, has never shifted its focus from the reform agenda.”

Deputy PM Osmani said the country had made considerable strides in all four priority areas. He expressed his hope that the European Commission would cite this progress in its next report.