SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov attended in Brussels an informal business breakfast organised by the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, and attended by Foreign Ministers of several EU member-states, as well as the two candidate states Macedonia and Albania. “I am glad that, despite the negative decision of the EU in relation to the start of the membership negotiations with North Macedonia, our government and our country retain the dedication to the reform implementation processes, which is to serve as an encouragement for the rest of the West Balkan region. Most of the segments of the French draft-methodology for EU enlargement are acceptable for us, because we are ready to welcome any changes that would improve the entire process of enlargement for both the EU and the candidate-states,” Dimitrov said at the breakfast. After the breakfast, Dimitrov held a bilateral meeting with the newly appointed EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, at which both interlocutors concluded that it is about time for EU to start the membership talks with Macedonia. “Europe without the European perspective of the West Balkan countries will not be a comfortable and complete place. A strong and close cooperation with the European Commission is a very important segment in achieving of this strategic goal of ours,” Dimitrov told Varhelyi. The interlocutors also discussed the possible changes to the enlargement methodology of the EU, with Varhelyi announcing a visit of Skopje on his behalf in January 2020. “Today we had a rather productive discussion with the Foreign Ministers of North Macedonia and of Albania. I am very sure that we can correct the mistake we made back in October 2019, and start the membership negotiations with these two countries in the spring of 2020,” Varhelyi said after the meeting.
