Zaev sends message of congratulations to Juncker on Europe Day

If European Council decides to open EU accession negotiations with Macedonia in June, this will encourage and motivate all stakeholders in our society to even more efficiently contribute to implementation of necessary reforms in the country and further dissemination of European values, PM Zoran Zaev said in the message of congratulations to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Europe Day.

In the message, Zaev said that on May 9, 1950 after the two world wars that subjugate Europe and fascism that is humanity’s shame, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, appealed the former enemies to begin the construction of a new Europe.

“This great visionary appealed on uniting, connecting policies and economies to achieve a vision for Europe in which future great, devastating wars will be disabled forever. Seven years later, six European countries established the European Economic Community with the Treaty of Rome and launched the process of European integration. The leaders of those countries initiated the idea for EU and decided that all differences will be resolved at the table, not on the battlefield,” Zaev said.

“Encouraged by the European values and the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia made their choice and opted for the future – future of the European Union,” reads the message.

According to Zaev, Europe today is not just a geographical location. The EU is not just the institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg. Europe and the European Union are concept based on common fundamental beliefs and principles about freedom, democracy and human right, market economy and achieving fair economic opportunities based on solidarity.

“United about these values we can face the challenges of our time,” Zaev said.

Today, when we congratulate our friends in Brussels and Strasbourg, our partners in the EU, the European Council and the European Commission, when we congratulate all Europeans, we also send a message that the EU can rely on the Republic of Macedonia.