News
9/27/2018 12:04
Today,
September 27, 2018, exactly at 9 am, at the Berlimoont Building in Brussels -
the headquarters of the European Commission, the Republic of Macedonia formally
started the screening process, through the presentation of the first Chapter 23
- Judiciary and Fundamental Rights. On this occasion, a high government - state
delegation, with over 40 representatives, will stay in Brussels for two days,
where the European Commission will present in details its own analysis of the
situation from Chapter 23, their expectations, the way they expect to see the
negotiations, etc.
At the
beginning of the working meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the
European Affairs and Chief Negotiator and Head of the State Delegation for
Negotiations, Bujar Osmani had an address to the representatives of the
negotiating structure and the Commission.
"This
is a historical moment for our country, and for me a real honour as a Chief
Negotiator, to mark the beginning of the screening process as a final stage in
the preparation for negotiations for full membership in the European
Union," Osmani emphasised at the beginning of his address, pointing out
the history of accession to the Union, starting with the Stabilization and
Association Agreement in 2001, through the candidate status in 2005, until the
first recommendation by the Commission in 2009.
"The
European and Euro-Atlantic orientation of the country is the point of unifying
our society from the independence itself, and in the process of approximation to
the European Union, all previous governments are irrevocably embedded,
transferring the interests of the country to their heirs, which continue where
their predecessors have stopped, "Osmani emphasised, pointing to the wider
inclusiveness within this process, sending gratitude to the administration, the
civil sector, the expert public, etc. ...
"We
understand that we are starting a complex process, which will take place in
several phases, in which thousands of pages of the so-called Acquis, should be
transposed in the Macedonian legislation, but let me assure you that the
motivation and enthusiasm between the administration, the civil sector,
business representatives, but also the citizens in general, from the progress
in the European integrations is extremely high, and I assure you that we are
ready to deal with this challenge", Osmani stressed, thus pointing to the
experience of the current administrative structure that successfully
implemented the obligations arising from the Stabilization and Association
Agreement liaison and association, and which through its entire professional
engagement is preparing precisely for this moment - for the negotiations
process.
In the
conclusion of his address, Osmani presented the three trajectories under which
the Government, as well as the entire state will move within the European
integration processes: "The state will simultaneously dedicate to the
implementation of the agreements on good neighbourly relations with Bulgaria
and Greece, will retain the reform momentum for fulfilling of the remarks and
guidelines of the conclusions of the councils, as well as firmly and
uncompromisingly entering in fulfilment of the obligations from the explanatory
screening, on all three fields in parallel, for the start of the negotiations
in June next year"- Osmani stressed, pointing to the historical moment for
decision -"A chance that this generation must not miss".
In
addition to the meeting, the Minister of Justice, Renata Deskoska, as well as
the Director of the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and
Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson and other representatives of the
European Commission, addressed the audience.
The
working meeting where the European Commission presents the analysis of Chapter
23 - Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, for the Republic of Macedonia continues
throughout the day, and according to the agenda, the working group will
continue to work on tomorrow, when it is expected to join the EU Enlargement
Commissioner Johannes Hahn.