Zaev: Macedonia has a chance for an unconditional recommendation in April/negotiations date in June


Macedonia has opportunities; our expectations are to receive an unconditional recommendation in April, and in June we will get a date for starting the negotiations, said the President of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, in Sofia today.
He participated in a working meeting between the leaders of the Western Balkan countries with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Frederica Mogherini and EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn under the auspices of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Bulgaria Boyko Borissov, as the country’s chairman of the EU, informs the government’s press service.

Today was a shared pleasure between me, the Prime Ministers of the Western Balkans, through the hospitality of Bulgaria and President Boyko Borisov, to make a summary with President Juncker, High Representative Mogherini and Commissioner Hahn, on the conclusions of the visit, the overall ambience, and certainly to discuss the perspectives of the Republic of Macedonia and the entire Western Balkans, Zaev said.

He said he was pleased that in his conclusions, President Juncker promised serious infrastructure support, that is money for infrastructure projects that should connect the Western Balkans to each other and with the entire region.

– We have talked about billions of euros, money that also applies to the corridors and the overall connection. I am glad that President Juncker, who confirmed that he is a dedicated friend of the Western Balkans on the road to the European integration process. As Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, I am happy because, indeed, our perspectives in the European Union are guided by the stability, but also by the reform processes that take place in the Republic of Macedonia, Zaev said.
Expressing hope that such serious positive messages will provide additional encouragement to the institutions and institutional set-up of Macedonia, in order to deliver an end to the reforms in Macedonia in an essential way. According to him, the judiciary is very important, the media sphere is very important, the reform of the public administration, as well as the reforms of the secret services and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

– These are the agendas to which we are committed, and we are convinced that indeed, until the Summit for the Western Balkans, here in Sofia, which will be held in May, we will be able to boast with the results, as we have done so far in the Republic of Macedonia. Indeed, the honor that this visit to the Western Balkans has begun from the Republic of Macedonia is also an obligation to maintain continuity, to be literally successful in the reforms, in the eyes of the European Union, which follows, checks or confirms us in part of the implementation of reforms, Zaev said.

At the same time, he pointed out that there is a sense of responsibility to share with the citizens and with the institutions that we really need to deliver the reforms to the end.

“These are valuable goals that are right before us, and I am convinced that because of these goals, we should truly dedicate ourselves and eventually finish this half of 2018, with success,” added Prime Minister Zaev.