Zaev met, but did not speak to Orban in Zagreb

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev was met, but failed to speak to Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, who opened the doors of his country to former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, at the Summit of CEI governments in Zagreb. Orban in Zagreb was part of the dinner organized by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, as Zaev said, but did not stay at the Summit on Tuesday.
“Orban only casually greeted all prime ministers and vice-presidents of governments and ministers. He did not stay to meet with me today, but I hope in the next occasion we will express our expectation for a response to Nikola Gruevski’s extradition request because Gruevski, according to international conventions and laws, must serve his sentence in Macedonia,” responded the prime minister, asked whether he took the opportunity to meet with the person who granted asylum to the fugitive Nikola Gruevski.
Zaev assessed the summit of heads of governments of member countries of the Central European Initiative (CEI) in Zagreb as a good opportunity for Macedonia to reiterate its expectation for support from the friendly countries, for membership of our country in NATO and the beginning of accession negotiations with the EU.
“We have requested the support of member states for the processes in the EU and NATO. Macedonia stands out in a positive light in building friendship, good neighborly relations, reforms and expectations that through Macedonia the enlargement will continue,” Zaev said.
Regarding the expectation for Macedonia’s membership in NATO, the Prime Minister said “Macedonia shines on the Balkans”. “With the reforms and the Prespa Agreement the road is open. Macedonia will be the next 30th member country of NATO,” Zaev said, who met with EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
The two discussed the current process of constitutional changes in parliament and the ability to secure the required majority to push through the amendments within the deadline.