SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
The PM of Macedonia Zoran Zaev, on invitation of the President of the European Parliament (EP) Antonio Tajani, addressed its assembly on Thursday. “This is a historic moment for the Macedonian people. This is the first time for a prime minister from the country to deliver a speech before the European Parliament in his own mother tongue. For the Republic of Macedonia, this is an opportunity that we have waited for a long time. In 1991 we voted for independence at a referendum. Now, we must make the next step: create a real opportunity to become NATO’s 30th member and launch the EU accession negotiations, chapter by chapter. The 30 September vote is much more than a referendum on the Prespa Agreement. It is one for the future, for our second independence. We want to serve as an example and inspiration for settlement of all bilateral issues in the Western Balkans, giving strong support to sustainable solutions based on European values and international law, permanently stabilizing the region and preparing it for EU integration. This is a very difficult task for me and for Greek PM Alexis Tsipras. Both of us had to give up on some things, but both of us also gained much more, for our countries. We are aware of the recommendations by the EU, which are our priorities: independent and democratic institutions, rule of law, struggle against corruption and crime, professional public administration. Macedonia lives the European slogan ‘United in Diversities’ on daily basis,” Zaev said in his address.
