Zbogar: It’s important that the SPO is allowed to continue its work

I hope member states will decide to open negotiations with North Macedonia at the June Council meeting, EU Ambassador Samuel Zbogar said Thursday during his lecture at the Faculty of Security within the Faculty’s diplomatic forum.
“A lot has been achieved. When one looks back, there is a big difference – the country that saw enemies all around itself is now friend with all of them,” Zbogar noted.
“The country that was in turmoil just two years ago has a now functioning democracy, functioning Parliament, with the opposition engaging in the reform processes and the reform laws, so we’re seeing an important progress,” he pointed out. “Of course, always more things can be done, and I think until June we’re still waiting to see some of the track record to be demonstrated, but with certain hope I’m looking towards June.”
Commenting on whether the law over the Special Prosecution Office (SPO) is one of the criteria for the start of the negotiations, Žbogar said the ministers last June, when they had set the path towards opening the negotiations in June, had set conditions on judiciary, reforming judiciary and track record in judiciary.
“The SPO is providing such track record. And, I think for us and for member states it’s important that the SPO is allowed to continue its work, and to continue to provide the track record on judicial cases,” he noted.
The EU Ambassador expressed hope and expectation that all political parties in the Parliament would find a way to allow the SPO to continue its work.
During his lecture for the students at the Faculty of Security, Žbogar discussed about the history of the EU. He said the greatest challenge facing the EU now was the emerging nationalism and anti-EU movements.
“The greatest challenge is to convince citizens that an integrated Europe is not a threat to national sovereignty. This is especially true after the immigration crisis. With this challenge we realize that the EU cannot be taken for granted,” he noted relating this to the significance of the upcoming European Parliament elections.