News
11/12/2018 15:49
Deputy Prime Minister in
charge of European Affairs Bujar Osmani had a working meeting with EU
Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn, where he
briefed on the progress of the country in the field of implementation of the
obligations of the European integration process.
"Plan 18 is already
adopted by the Government and its implementation, for now, goes smoothly. I
expect that address all key areas will be addressed timely and conditions for
confirming the decision to start the negotiations will be confirmed,"
Osmani stated at the meeting, thus pointing to the progress in
the implementation of reforms in the key areas, especially after the
Parliament's opening up with the first green light on constitutional changes.
"The Parliament gave the
first green light for the constitutional changes in accordance with the Prespa
agreement, which not only opened the way for the implementation of the
obligations under the Treaty, but also created conditions to accelerate the
country's reform process in accordance with the conclusions of the European
Council of June," said Osmani, emphasizing the progress of the relations
between Macedonia and Greece, which are advancing at an accelerated pace.
"I personally attended,
together with my colleague from Greece, Giorgos Katrougalos, the first flight
after a 10-year break between Athens and Skopje, by which we symbolically and
fundamentally brought the two capitals closer than an hour," Osmani
emphasized, pointing out the agreement between the two countries on the
trilateral initiative between Macedonia, Greece and Albania for the sustainable
development of the Prespa region, as well as the initiatives for strategic
partnership with Greece and their support for the country's European
integration.
Osmani informed Hahn about
the progress in the preparation of the negotiating structure for the start of
negotiations. "We are actively working on the involvement of both the
civil sector and the academic community in the negotiating structure, a process
that we expect to further strengthen the negotiation expertise and efficiency
of the state," Osmani stated.
"We have progress on all
trajectories - addressing urgent reform priorities and recommendations related
to the European integrations; implementation of the obligations under the
agreements with Bulgaria and Greece and progress in good neighbourly relations;
as well as the preparation of the team and the negotiating structure for the
start of the negotiations," Osmani said, ensuring the EU Commissioner Hahn
that Macedonia will successfully join the Strategy of the Commission for
Enlargement on the countries of the Western Balkans and will manage to achieve
the Agenda 2025.
During the visit to Brussels,
Osmani held an informal briefing with representatives of the Working Party on
the Western Balkans Region (COWEB), where he presented the Plan 18.