US Ambassador Kate Byrnes said Thursday at the signing of the Development Partnership Grant Agreement between the United States and North Macedonia that following the signing of the Prespa Agreement and its accession to NATO, North Macedonia generated momentum which now it must maintain.
“We recognize this next period will be critical for North Macedonia’s future as a prosperous ally that contributes to regional stability. Following the signing of the historic Prespa Agreement in 2018, as well as NATO membership and the green light to accession talks with the EU in 2020, North Macedonia generated real, palpable momentum. Now, this momentum must be maintained and the current moment must be seized, even in the face of hardships. We know the future promises to be challenging. Issues like corruption, nepotism, or even dysfunctional institutions have the potential to pull North Macedonia back from where it is clearly headed,” Byrnes said.
Government leaders, she underlined, must also confront the common disconnect that occurs between high public expectations of future EU membership and the reality of difficult reforms needed for accession.
