Ohrid, 18 January 2023 (MIA) – EU Ambassador to North Macedonia, David Geer, said Wednesday that the freedom of media and expression is a fundamental value for the EU and a cornerstone of democracy. The Ambassador did not want to comment on the cutting of the Media Information Agency’s (MIA) budget, which resulted in the closure of its correspondents’ offices abroad, or on the remarks made by Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and DUI Leader Ali Ahmeti about two TV channels.

“I’m not going to comment on the different statements by politicians and party leaders, but the freedom of media and expression is a fundamental value for the EU and an issue we follow closely. Media freedom is a cornerstone of democracy because it ensures that the citizens are informed and can make informed decisions. On the one hand, the media has a responsibility to ensure that such accurate information is available and aspire to the highest professional standards, and on the other hand, it is important that their freedom is preserved and free from the interference and pressure, or any actions that might make journalists self-censor or even endanger them,” said Geer.

The EU Ambassador spoke about the most important issues for the EU regarding the reforms and the screening process, stressing that “the freedom of media is also one of the issues at the heart of what we call fundamentals” and represents a priority for Brussels. ad/nn/