Enlargement is an important priority of Ireland’s EU Presidency, Irish Ambassador to North Macedonia Brendan Ward, resident in Bucharest, stated while presenting the official program at the National Council for European Integration in Skopje on Wednesday. As he noted, Ireland will insist on Montenegro completing its negotiations with the EU by the end of the year and on substantial progress being achieved with the other three candidate countries that have commenced cluster negotiations.
Regarding North Macedonia, he said there would be dialogue within the EU to enable the country to make the necessary step forward. Support for European values, which have been neglected in the past by some EU members, is one of the three priorities of the Presidency, Ambassador Ward also stated.
There was a call to respect European values also by the Deputy President of the Integration Council, VMRO-DPMNE MP Antonijo Miloshoski, as well as by LDP leader and MP Monika Zajkova. Miloshoski asked for respect and a partnership approach from the Irish presidency, but he also asked for greater support for “more rational behavior” from certain EU members.