The Prime Minister and President of SDSM, Zoran Zaev today announced a leaders’ meeting until the end of the year. He said that he expects the head of state, Stevo Pendarovski, to convene it, but if that does not happen, then he will “take” the initiative. The leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, on the other hand, announced that his party will not participate if the leaders’ meeting is organized by Pendarovski, MIA reports.

Both Zaev and Mickoski agree that the meeting should focus on the corona crisis, European integration and other issues of interest to citizens.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said a leaders’ meeting would take place by the end of the year, focusing on the Euro-integration process, the COVID-crisis and other issues of interest for the citizens.

-VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski has urged the President to schedule a leaders’ meeting but I am not aware of the developments in this regard. If the President fails to schedule it, I will, for the sake of discussing the Euro-integration meeting, the COVID-crisis and all other fields in the people’s interest, PM Zaev told reporters.

He said the ruling authorities would like to see consensus with the opposition on numerous issues and projects, such as the project on the new Clinical Center.

“We would like to see such consensus on the Clinical Center project, the largest-ever in the field of health in the country. We are prepared to work with the opposition on this but also on other projects. If the President schedules the meeting, I will attend. If not, I will schedule it by the year-end,” noted Zaev.

Mickoski told a press conference that a leaders’ meeting should take place, discussing the current political, health, education and economic situation.

-I do not see Pendarovski’s role in this meeting, since he is not a leader of a political party. We all know who should schedule the leaders’ meeting. I am available to take part. However, I will not take part in a leaders’ meeting initiated by Stevo Pendarovski because I do not see his role in this, said Mickoski and added the Government should be the initiator.

Asked about VMRO-DPMNE’s demands at the meeting, he said they should first see the agenda and afterwards present their positions.

-If the agenda fails to incorporate our requirements, we will intervene. If we are ignored, then we will not attend the meeting, because we do not want to be the clowns in this situation. We should discuss core issues, we do not need theatres. The people are tired, said Mickoski.

For the time being, there is no information from Pendarovski’s Cabinet whether he intends to convene a leaders’ meeting.