Zaev visiting Bucharest 11 years after the veto

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev was in Romania on Thursday to welcome the ratification of North Macedonia’s Accession Protocol to NATO. At the place where Macedonia got a veto, which held the country out of NATO for an entire decade, he had a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.
Romania has started the procedure for ratification of North Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol, which has been adopted by the Chamber of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament. It is expected the process to be swiftly completed and very soon North Macedonia to become 30th NATO member, Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă said Thursday after the meeting with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
Dăncilă reaffirmed the position for continuation of EU enlargement based on individual merits for the Western Balkan countries. She expected that EU enlargement policies to be confirmed in June and encouraged our country to continue implementing reforms.
Dăncilă congratulated Zaev for his courage and energy that contributed in the large processes for the country, which she considered should be inspirational for the entire region, government’s press service said.
Zaev thanked for ratification of the NATO Accession Protocol for Republic of North Macedonia in the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament and for the support for country’s NATO integration process.
“I am particularly pleased that we are paying official visit to Bucharest which coincides with an important phase of ratification of NATO Accession Protocol for North Macedonia by friendly Romania. Eleven years ago, right here in Bucharest a historical opportunity was missed for our country to join NATO. Today we have built a future on the foundation of the past. North Macedonia is on the Atlantic path,” Zaev said.
“We also thank Romania that during the presidency of the Council of the European Union maintains the focus of enlargement and motivates the efforts of all EU member states to support the Republic of North Macedonia in its EU aspirations. We expect a positive decision in June for country to open EU accession negotiations,” Zaev said.
He added that the EU and NATO are needed for North Macedonia, the region, but also for Europe, since they mean stability, security, economy and progress.
“North Macedonia is engaged in substantial reforms, because it is important to implement the adopted laws and to deliver results in key reform areas, guided by European principles and values. We took courageous and careful political steps and we reached the agreements, first with our neighbour, Bulgaria, and then with Greece. The Prespa Agreement represents an example that solutions to the most sensitive bilateral political issues are possible,” said Prime Minister Zaev.
Zaev and Dăncilă agreed to promote economic cooperation and discussed possibility of holding a business forum.
“Investors show interest to invest in our country. As two friendly countries that do not have open political issues, we have the opportunity to dedicate ourselves to the economy, which is in direct interest to the citizens of our countries. The agreement between the two governments for cooperation in education, science, culture, media, youth and sports, is in the final stage of ratification in our parliament,” Zaev added.
Dăncilă congratulated on NATO’s open door and on major political steps taken in a short time, adding that Romania wants to see North Macedonia a full-fledged member state of NATO.
Zaev also met and held talks with the President of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea and Senate Vice-President Iulian Claudiu Manda.
Dragnea informed Zaev that yesterday Romania’s Chamber of Deputies unanimously ratified the NATO Accession for North Macedonia. He also congratulated the country over its visionary policies and approach to settling issues of vital significance for the future, the government said in a press release.
Zaev on his part extended gratitude for Romania’s overall support of North Macedonia. Romania is among the first country the first to ratify North Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol, Zaev said.
‘NATO membership is our top strategic goal. The peace, stability, security are important and also open the door to economic development. Our goal is to prove that North Macedonia may also be an economic miracle,’ Zaev said.
Zaev-Dragnea meeting also shared opinions on the upcoming bilateral business forum, boosting of economic and the cooperation in the spheres of culture, education, infrastructure…
Procedures for ratifying North Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol are underway and should be wrapped up next week, Manda told Zaev.