Tag: Macedonia

The unexpected development with the release of the two Greek  soldiers after five months’ imprisonment in Turkey, should not make the Greek government complacent, because the end of summer and the begining ofautumn bring a number of high profile foreign policy issues. The most notorious is the referendum in the Republic of Macedonia on the Prespa Agreement.  Its outcome will...

Do not doubt - the friendship between Macedonia and Bulgaria is sincere. Together we will celebrate and honour our past and on its foundation we will continue building our common future, wrote Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on the social network "Facebook" this morning in response to a recent debate in Bulgaria for the relations of both countries. "I see in...

The Macedonia Turkish Movement Party (THP) has sent a letter to President Gjorge Ivanov and Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov asking that they prevent the appointment of current Deputy Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Gjergj Dedaj, as ambassador to Macedonia. "The Macedonian Turkish Movement Party, as well as the entire Turkish population in Macedonia, and beyond, with a great deal of disappointment...

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, will visit Macedonia on 7th of September, three weeks before the scheduled referendum regarding the name, which should resolve the dispute with Greece. Kurz visits Macedonia at the invitation of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who has also invited several other European leaders before the referendum. During Zaev’s last visit in...

The Federation of Industries of Northern Greece (SBBE) is offering free assistance to Greek companies to protect the term “Macedonia” in the name of their products and trademarks, reports Greek newspaper “Ekathimreini”. Athanasios Savvakis, the president of the SBBE, says the federation will offer free assistance to some 4,000 Greek enterprises to protect the name in international markets. He went on...

The solution for the name should be based on a broad social consensus and an impeccable constitutional basis. With the Prespa Agreement this is not the case. It just caused additional schisms in both Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at today's press briefing, stated the Russian...

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, in an interview with "BuzzFeed News", said pro-Russian businessmen are trying to stop the country from joining NATO by paying for violent protests. Zoran Zaev said his government has received multiple reports that “Greek businessmen” who are “sympathetic to the Russian cause” paid Macedonians amounts ranging from $13,000 to $21,000 to “commit acts of violence” ahead of the...

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects that following the agreement with Greece, Macedonia will be asked to begin accession negotiations with NATO. Stoltenberg stated at today's pre-conference, Macedonia will become a NATO member using the new name Republic of Northern Macedonia. “I expect that after the historic agreement reached last month in the name dispute, we will invite Skopje to commence...

It is quite certain that on 11th of July, Macedonia will receive an invitation for accession talks for the NATO Summit, which is expected to be relatively short - three to six months - a procedure which is identical to the last countries which became NATO members, i.e. Montenegro, Albania and Croatia, and then the Accession Protocol has to...

Macedonia's accession to NATO is a sovereign right of the country. Moscow fosters good relations with Skopje, but opposes the Alliance's approach to Russia’s borders, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday. “It is the sovereign decision for Macedonia itself. We appreciate and maintain good relations with Macedonia. Of course, we are interested in developing bilateral cooperation. But with regard...

The US State Department welcomed the EU Council's decision to propose a plan for opening accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania in June 2019 and once again confirms the importance of the agreement reached with Greece. In a statement for MIA, the State Department said that the EU's plan depends on further progress in certain areas. "The Council's decision highlights the...

Another great day for the Republic of Macedonia, and more recognition for our country. The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states of the European Union yesterday decided to start negotiations for membership for the Republic of Macedonia in June 2019, the Government stated. "The European Union and the leaders of all member states recognized the Republic...

There will be a start for negotiations with the European Union in June 2019 if Macedonia maintains the reform progress, especially in the area of urgent reform priorities, the Ministers from EU Council decided after a lengthy debate for enlargement, where it was reviewed the recommendations for negotiations for Macedonia and Albania. The Council of Ministers expects the European Commission...

Today, the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg should decide regarding the EC recommendation to start accession negotiations for Macedonia and Albania. Yesterday, Euro-Commissioner Federica Mogherini called on member states to reward Macedonia's impressive progress regarding signing the Agreement regarding the name with Greece. “You know that we recommended opening negotiations with Skopje and Tirane, this process must be based on...

Today, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects Alliance leaders to decide at the Summit in July, whether to officially start negotiations on Macedonia’s full-fledged membership in NATO. Stoltenberg expects Macedonia to be invited for full membership and the start of accession negotiations, however he went on to say that the country's admission will depend on the epilogue of...

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security of the EU, Federica Mogherini, the day before the crucial EU ministers' meeting when the recommendation to start negotiations with Macedonia should be considered, again she urged member states to reward Macedonia’s progress. “You know that we recommended opening negotiations with Skopje and Tirane, this process must be based on merit, which means...

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl responding to a journalist question concerning about the opening negotiations with Macedonia and Albania, said that countries had fulfilled the negotiating tasks required and now the credibility of the EU was in question. She also used the name "Northern Macedonia" in her statement, MIA correspondent from Brussels reported. “I was dining with the Albanian Minister...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent a congratulatory message to Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev for reaching an agreement with Greece to resolve the name dispute, and said Germany would strongly support it, informed the Macedonian Government. "This deal paves the way for a historic agreement, and I congratulate you and your government on this success. The Federal Republic of Germany...

Dutch Parliament has given the green light for opening accession negotiations for Macedonia to the EU, reported Albanian Television “Top Channel”. According to the same source, Dutch MPs could not come to an agreement as to whether Albania should receive a date for the start of negotiations with the EU. According to them, Albania has not done enough to fight corruption...

In the village of Psarades (Nivitsi) on the Greek side of the Prespa Lake, Foreign Ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias, signed the “Final Agreement in resolving the differences described in resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993) by the United Nations Security Council, for the termination of the validity of the Interim Accord of 1995...