EU to fulfill its promises to the Western Balkans while we Europeanize the society and meet standards for our citizens who are a natural part of the European family, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told the Tirana Economic Forum III on Friday.
PM Zaev said bold political action, vision, courage and decisiveness are now required more than ever, in order to stabilize the European continent.
He said that North Macedonia has never had any other interest than peaceful and dignified cohabitation with neighbors and all nations and ethnicities in Europe, but over the past 1,5 year it went through a process that redefined the enlargement methodology and has been faced with unprincipled issues and bureaucratic positions that cannot and must not be a tripping stone on the path of its prosperity.
The PM recalled that the country was the first in the region to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement back in 2001, became a candidate for membership in 2005, got the first positive recommendation for the start of accession negotiations in 2009, but is still in the Union’s waiting room.
“As Prime Minister, it is my task to make difficult and bold decisions, work in the best interest of my citizens and work with the Government on a brighter future and the vision that the founding fathers of today’s modern, prosperous and united Europe promoted 70 years ago. That is why we opened the most difficult diplomatic issues with our neighbors four years ago, closing them in the spirit of goodneighborliness, modern multilateral politics and the wish for a united region that moves forward. Over the past 1,5 year it went through a new process that redefined the enlargement methodology, but have also been faced with unprincipled issues and bureaucratic positions that cannot and must not be a tripping stone on the path of North Macedonia’s prosperity,” said Zaev.
According to him, the world is faced with the COVID-19 crisis, which continually alters priorities and courses of multilateral processes.
“We are also facing the challenges of retrograde forces across the continent imposing non-European values, continually devaluing the civilizational benefits set up by Adenauer, Schuman and De Gasperi. In times like these, when daily politics undermines the fundamental values, we have to ask ourselves the question: What if sights 70 years ago focused only on the ruined continent, and not the future we are living today?” said Zaev.
My country, he added, was, is and will always be a crossroad of many civilizations, ethnicities, cultural ties that leave the best for future generations who build their life here.
“Unfortunately, this small balanced political eco-system that we have created throughout centuries is vulnerable. It is vulnerable because citizens cannot continue to live only by an idea. Bold political action, vision, courage and decisiveness are now required more than ever, in order to stabilize the European continent. North Macedonia has never had any other interest than peaceful and dignified cohabitation with neighbors and all nations and ethnicities in Europe. But, let me be crystal clear in repeating the Government’s position. We will never allow ourselves to discuss things that cannot be discussed – who we are, our identity traits, the genesis of our statehood and language. On this occasion, let me thank Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi and all political and administrative stakeholders who have been with us in this process, especially for the support we have been given and that is yet to arrive in managing the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis,” underlined Zaev.
He also referred to the Government’s plan dubbed Europe at Home.
“This plan is clearly declaring the Government’s actions in Euro-integration and related processes. Regardless of the mood in the neighborhood or Brussels, we are committed to the well-being of our citizens. We are taking the best European practices and embedding them in the national tissue,” noted Zaev.
The PM said that despite the corona-crisis, the Government will continue to do its best for the benefit of its people.
The online-panel within the Tirana Economic Forum III also included Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegetlija, and European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi.
