News
10/4/2018 11:18
Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, and
chief negotiator and head of the state delegation for negotiations with the EU,
Bujar Osmani, together with his deputy and chief technical negotiator Bojan
Maricic, are currently on a working visit to Tirana, Albania, within where
together with the Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers for European Integration
of the countries of the region they participate in the Third Western Balkans
Accession Reform Conference (WBAR).
Prior to the conference,
Osmani had a bilateral meeting with the Federal Minister for Europe,
Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria, Karin Kneisl, expressing sincere
gratitude for Austria's commitment to the region, especially in the part of the
Austrian Presidency, raising the enlargement process and integration of the
region as one of the three top priorities of the Union. Osmani underlined that
Macedonia will remain committed to the European agenda by deepening of the
reform momentum, but will resolutely continue the implementation of the
European rules, standards and values, thus contributing to the construction of
a stronger and more stable Europe.
"We had an extremely important referendum process in the country, in which over 600,000 citizens expressed a clear political will to implement the Prespa Treaty, and move the country forward in the integration processes. We have an obligation to use all possibilities and implement this Agreement in the Assembly, "Osmani said. He also referred to the challenges faced by the country in relation to the held referendum, and expressed satisfaction with the high support of the citizens of the Prespa Agreement and the EU and NATO membership.
At today's Conference on Western Balkan Accession Reforms (WBAR), a joint declaration is expected to be signed, where, inter alia, the efforts to promote good neighbourly relations will be reaffirmed, the promotion of the regional co-operation, as well as the European prospects of the Western Balkan countries, followed by an address by the Deputy Prime Minister Osmani on the panel dedicated to EU communication to the public.
As part of his working visit to Tirana, Osmani will have bilateral meetings with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, Ditmir Bushati and the Minister for European Integration of the Republic of Kosovo, Dhurata Hoxha.
Today's Conference on
the Western Balkan Accession Reforms (WBAR) in Tirana, supported by the
Austrian Presidency of the Council of EU, is the third one in a row, preceded
by the first one held in Skopje in 2015 and the second one held in Podgorica in
2017.