Xhaferi: Focus on law implementation, political dialogue in coming period


The European Commission report is positive, with an unconditional recommendation for setting a date to launch EU membership talks. This is an achievement of everyone in Macedonia, and in particular an achievement of the citizens who have been patiently supporting all the efforts made by the political parties, Parliament and the government, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said Wednesday after a meeting with EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

The Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations handed over the EC progress report on Macedonia to the Speaker, MP coordinators and Parliament’s Vice Presidents.

Speaking to reporters, Xhaferi said it was a good start to get Macedonia back on the European agenda. However, he noted, in the next two-three months we have to apply in practice the reform-oriented package of laws so as to enable a date to be set for the opening of negotiations by the EU Summit in Sofia in May or at least by the next summit in July.

This report is one of the few ones that contained no remarks about the Parliament, but still we need to implemented the adopted laws, according to him.

“The Jean Monnet process is ahead, it is set to take place in Ohrid. We have been encouraged to continue the dialogue between the political parties inside the Parliament and by doing so to show yet again that we have understood the messages from the past, that the right place for a dialogue is here and that issues should be solved by the parties themselves,” Speaker Xhaferi concluded.