Zaev-Hahn: Intensive work ahead of Macedonia

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev had a meeting Thursday in Brussels with EU Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn, which in practice kicked off the preparations for the screening process for Macedonia, which is given a conditional green light to open EU accession talks in June 2019.

The meeting was also attended by Macedonian Vice-Premier for European Affairs Buljar Osmani, the Defense and Foreign Ministers, Radmila Sekerinska and Nikola Dimitrov respectively, the government said in a press release.

The meeting addressed the envisaged activities for implementing the Skopje-Athens name deal, as well the guidelines for Macedonia to strengthening the reform efforts related to EU aquis chapters that would be opened in June next year – the rule of law, judiciary and fundamental rights.

The meeting concluded that the process of preparations for Macedonia’s EU accession talks should be fully inclusive for the country to create the best teams that would work on harmonizing the national with the EU aquis.

The meeting’s main message is that there is no time for celebrations, as the government in the next 365 days should work hard to realize the historic task for Macedonia’s  speedy and successful  EU accession talks.