Mogherini: Name agreement is source of inspiration for many in the region to take bold steps


Today is a historic day for the two country, but it is also a historic day for the European Union and the Balkans in general, Federica Mogherini told reporters upon arriving in the village of Otesevo in Macedonia after the signing of the name deal.

“Many people were sceptical about the possibility of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement…  We are here today, first of all to thank the two sides, because they make us all Europeans proud of the capacity to find – through diplomacy, through dialogue – a win-win solution for a problem that was long-standing for too many decades,” the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy told reporters.

I hope and I believe, she added, this will be a source of inspiration for many in the region to take bold, brave, courageous steps; and also for the whole of Europe. I think that this agreement shows the way to Europe, to the rest of the world that any problem, any issue is solvable in a positive manner through leadership, courage and dialogue.

Mogherini said the EU would follow closely the implementation of the agreement because ‘this is not something important only for the two parties, this is important for the whole of Europe and for the entire world.’

It took a lot of time and efforts to get to this point today, the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, told reporters standing next to the EU foreign policy chief Mogherini.

This is a historic day and opportunity for the citizens of North Macedonia to get positive feedback with regard to the country’s bid to join the Euro-Atlantic organization, Hahn said.

Mogherini celebrated her 45th birthday on the signing of the name agreement between Greece and Macedonia.