We should have faith in Zaev and Tsipras’s optimism, says Ambassador Zbogar

The meeting of the PMs Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras is good news, because only through dialogue problems and open issues could be solved, EU Ambassador Samuel Zbogar said Thursday in Bitola.

“In the past several months, the governments of Macedonia and Greece have really established a very intensive dialogue so as to create an atmosphere that can contribute to finding a solution. It seems that yesterday’s meeting between the two premiers has laid a foundation for better understanding, which is beneficial not only for the two countries, but also for the entire region, the whole of Europe, and of course for all of us,” Zbogar told reporters in Bitola.

Asked whether he felt the same optimism that the name issue could be solved by July and that Macedonia could be given a date for negotiations for EU accession, Zbogar said one should have faith in the optimism of the premiers and governments of the two countries.

The next six months, he said, will be very intensive in terms of EU-Western Balkans relations.

“Many things will be happening every month, things that have never happened before. The European Commission in February will publish its strategy that will provide a vision for the path of Western Balkan countries to join the EU. In April, the EC will release the progress reports of Western Balkan countries that are candidates to join the EU, and in May there is the Sofia summit that is very important because it is a forum of the EU and the six Western Balkan countries. The summit will bring together the premiers of EU countries and the premiers of Western Balkan countries, where issues will be discussed that are of mutual importance, both for the EU and the region,” stated Ambassador Zbogar.

Also, he noted, the summit of the European Council is scheduled in June, which is expected to produce very important decisions related to the EU’s enlargement and the possible opening of accession talks with countries in the Western Balkan region.