Brussels, 11/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - During a press conference on 10 June in Brussels, with MEPs, Othmar Karas, Ingo Friedrich and Anna Ibrisagic (all from the EPP-ED group), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) foreign affairs minister, Antonio Milososki, declared that the tumultuous way in which the general elections took place on 1 June (EUROPE 9673) should not prevent the EU from rapidly setting a date for opening accession negotiations. Following the violence during the elections, the EU called for another election to be organised “in compliance with international rules” at the polling stations where intimidation and violent incidents occurred on 1 June last. The Macedonian electoral committee announced last Saturday that another election would take place on 15 June in 196 polling stations. Mr Milososki also explained that his government was working hard to fulfil the eight criteria set out by the European Commission to obtain a favourable recommendation in the next regular report, announced for October or November, for beginning accession negotiations.
Skopje also hopes that negotiations with Greece on the name “Macedonia” will achieve an agreement in the next few months and that this dispute will not block FYROM's integration process. Speaking on behalf of the EPP-ED group, Othmar Karas from Austria declared that FYROM could count on the support of Christian Democrats. He indicated that his group supported the Commission's autumn report recommendations to the European Council - the opening of accession negotiations next December. (H.B./trans.r.h.)