Brussels, 22/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - During the evening of Monday 20 July, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Stabilisation and Association Council called for the swift implementation - and “in good faith” - of the political agreement concluded on 15 July by the four main political party leaders, “including the urgent reform priorities on systemic rule of law issues to which all parties have committed”.
The Council also noted the FYROM government's preparation of a draft action plan to respond to the urgent reform priorities in the areas of the rule of law and the judicial system, public administration, the media, electoral reform, intra-ethnic relations and economic governance, and concerning the implementation of the recommendations of the December 2014 Commission of Inquiry. Consultations are currently taking place around this action plan. European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn also decided to organise a meeting (probably on 18 September) of the “high level dialogue on accession” in order to examine the results obtained. “An agreement is still not the guarantee of results”, Hahn said at a press conference.
“By overcoming the current crisis, we will be able to move forward on the European path”, said FYROM's foreign minister, Nikola Poposki. His colleague in European affairs, Fatmir Besimi, stated that his country's Euro-Atlantic and EU accession future were priorities. “It's an essential objective because this reinforces our country's cohesion”, he said. “I hope the agreement is a turning point and that the country will return to its European path”, said Slovakia's foreign minister, Miroslav Lajcak. In Hahn's view, the agreement has enabled FYROM “to leave the door open to a Euro-Atlantic outlook”.
The Stabilisation and Association Council also reiterated that regional cooperation and good relations with the neighbourhood continued to be essential. Poposki stated that cooperation with Greece had been improved - as had communication with Bulgaria (our translation). (Camille-Cerise Gessant)