Summit in Poznan for European perspectives and unresolved issues

The focus of the Summit is on regional cooperation, networking, mobility, integration of the Roma, economic growth and ways of overcoming the current challenges, report the agencies.

Presence of heads of government, ministers, representatives of NGOs from the six Balkan countries and from several Western European countries has been announced.

It is expected for the European Union member states, Summit participants, such as Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland and Bulgaria to try to encourage cooperation between Albania, Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, as opposed to the conflicts and unresolved issues that exist between certain countries.

The presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also been announced, at whose initiative the Berlin Process was launched in 2014 with the goal of accelerating dialogue and the opportunity for cooperation among the Western Balkan countries.

MEPs with different reactions regarding the new nominations in the EC

Yesterday, the several days of negotiations on the top positions of the European Union ended.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was elected as President of the European Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker. Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Borel is to replace Federica Mogherini.

Belgium Prime Minister Charles Michel is chosen to lead the European Council, replacing Donald Tusk, while Christine Lagarde from the International Monetary Fund is to lead the European Central Bank.

The negotiations for the nominations of the European Commission top people were led for several days, whereas the final decisions are a result of the long behind closed doors agreements. Donald Tusk has stated that he recommended for the Assembly to select a social-democrat for the first half of the mandate and a conservative from EPP for the second half.

He also has submitted an offer for the president of parliament to be from Eastern or Central Europe. Tusk has stated that there still is “an enormous question mark” on whether the European Parliament will approve the nominated candidates who are to lead the European Union in the next five years, especially for the candidates for heads of the European Commission Leyen and head of the European Central bank Lagarde.

Some MEPs did not agree with the nominations, but still stated that they support them Manfred Weber from EPP said that they are ready to support the nominations, although he did underline that this selection is not according to their manner.

Zaev supports Raskovski, “broom” action for several directors on Tuesday

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev for now will not request resignation from the General Secretary of the Government, Dragi Raskovski, for M-NAV. As he stated today, the consequences of the entire event need to be reviewed first, and then a decision should be made. Zaev stressed that Raskovski fulfils all his work tasks, and has also publically apologized for the case. He will personally send a letter to “Leonardo”, with an apology on behalf of the Government. He will also do this towards the Roma community in the country.

UNESCO decides on the fate of the Lake Ohrid region

The Lake Ohrid region today is on the agenda of the 43rd session of UNESCO, which is held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the proposal for Ohrid to be added to the list of endangered world cultural heritage will also be examined. UNESCO’s advisory bodies (ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM) through their representatives elaborated their remarks and the reasons why they consider that the Ohrid region should be on the list of endangered ones.

Representatives of Australia, Cuba, Kuwait, China, Spain, Brazil, Tunisia Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina requested for North Macedonia to be given additional period for implementing the recommendations of UNSECO, while the representative of Albania highlighted the importance of the Ohrid Lake for the two countries and its status as a world cultural heritage.

Minister without portfolio Edmon Ademi emphasized before the participants that all measures have been taken and that work is being carried out on the recommendations of UNSECO, but that it must be taken in consideration that the current Government was formed two months after UNESCO’s report on the monitoring of the Ohrid region.

Macedonia and Bulgaria will be chairing the Berlin Process for European integration

North Macedonia and Bulgaria will be jointly chairing the Berlin Process for support of regional cooperation and European integration of the region in the next 12 months, and this will be announced within the framework of the Summit for the Western Balkans in Poznan, Republic of Poland.

As the government press service informed at the annual Summit for the Western Balkans, which this year is being held in Poznan, Republic of Poland, a country that in the past 12 months was chairing the Berlin Process, within the framework of which the Summit is being held, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev tomorrow and the day after tomorrow will be leading the government delegation.

Prosecutor’s Office rejected the criminal charges against Kanceska – Milevska

The Skopje Prosecutor’s Office rejected the criminal charges of the Financial Police for negligent work in the service against former Minister of Culture, Elizabeta Kanceska Milevska, her deputy Dragan Nedeljkovic and against the head of the Sector for financial matters within the ministry.

Following the questioning, the expertise and the request for evidence, the prosecutor brought a decision that there are no grounds for suspicion that the accused have committed a criminal act that is prosecuted by official duty, and rejected the charges.

Angela Petrovska