Brussels, 25/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said on Tuesday 24 July that he was hopeful that his country would be able to open accession negotiations this year, under Cypriot presidency, giving his country and the region European prospects. He said that opening negotiations was a priority for the FYROM. “We hope … that the framework which emerges from these negotiations will allow us to resolve a number of bilateral issues, as was the case with Croatia”, he added, in a reference to the dispute with Greece, which is blocking the opening of negotiations, overuse of the name “Macedonia”.
Highlighting the progress made by the country and encouraging it to continue in similar vein, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle stated that “this is the way to achieve a positive climate later this year when the member states will take decisions about the enlargement process”.
Solid progress by FYROM
Poposki was in Brussels for the Association and Stabilisation Council with the FYROM. Like Füle, he expressed the wish that his country move on to the second phase of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). “The Commission reiterates its proposal to move to the second stage of implementation of the SAA that would deepen the market liberalisation”, said the commissioner.
The EU and the FYROM discussed the progress made by the country in several areas. The Council noted the willingness on the part of the FYROM government to take action on the main concerns in the key areas of the high-level dialogue on accession: the media, the rule of law and fundamental rights, reform of public authorities, electoral reform and development of the market economy, and encouraged it to maintain its efforts.
The EU congratulated Skopje for abiding by the commitments made in the Ohrid framework agreement of 2001 between Albanian and Macedonian parties. It also hailed the efforts made on electoral reform, media freedom of expression and human rights. The reform of the justice system, tackling corruption, regional cooperation, the instrument for pre-accession assistance and progress in the areas covered by the SAA, such as agriculture, the internal market, trade, customs and energy, were also discussed. (CG/transl.rt)