Deputy PM for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov held Wednesday a video-meeting with the State Minister for European Affairs of Ireland, Thomas Byrne, the Secretariat for European Affairs said.
During the meeting, which was held at the initiative of the Irish side, Byrne, who is Ireland’s representative to the EU General Affairs Council voiced interest in the status of North Macedonia’s European file, underscoring the efforts of the Portuguese EU Presidency and its proposal, as a good basis for overcoming the challenges to adopt the negotiating framework and breakthrough on EU’s accession bid ahead of the June EU Summit.
Deputy PM Dimitrov thanked for the continued Irish support to North Macedonia’s EU integration path and referred to the commitment to the European agenda in key reform areas, which requires an immediate start of accession negotiations, as well as the commitment to remove obstacles in that regard.
“Even though geographically distant, Ireland and North Macedonia are similar in many respects, especially in their commitment to act as constructive partners in Europe. This connection inevitably leads us to integration and unity in values, which we strive to complete with a common European future under the EU flag. I would like to thank Dublin for its steadfast support of European principles and its commitment to focusing on the essence of the accession process, which is the adoption of European legislation, values and standards. We remain committed to the agenda Europe at home as an argument plus for maintaining the support of our Irish friends for the enlargement process whose further delay is unacceptable as it is detrimental to common interests. I believe that a strong pledge together with good will and awareness of the stakes can result in a European solution,” Dimitrov noted.
Minister Byrne underlined that as North Macedonia has fulfilled all conditions and the huge interest in EU influence, Ireland firmly supports the holding the first intergovernmental conference as soon as possible and much deserved start of EU accession talks. He announced vocal support for North Macedonia at all upcoming meetings of the working bodies of the EU Council.
Moreover, they agreed that the opening of accession negotiations is an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two countries, by transferring the fruitful Irish experience in the transformation process, which is currently taking place through strong technical and expert support within the IPA instruments, the Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release.
