Skopje, 18 July 2023 (MIA) - The Government at its session on Tuesday adopted the draft amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, it said in a press release. 

The draft constitutional amendments were prepared by a working group composed of experts, eminent professors from several universities in the country, as well as representatives of political parties, with unanimous support for the contents of the text, after which the item was put on the agenda of Tuesday's government session upon the proposal of the Ministry of Justice, adds the press release.

"The draft amendments were prepared on the basis of the Conclusions of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia adopted at the session held on July 16, 2022, and related to the Conclusions of the Council of the European Union, and the EU Common Position and EU Opening Statement at the Ministerial Meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference on North Macedonia's accession to the European Union. North Macedonia, in accordance with its strategic goal of full-fledged EU membership, is committed to implementing the obligations undertaken within the Negotiating Framework and the accession negotiations of the Republic of North Macedonia with the European Union that began with the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conference on July 19, 2022," reads the press release.  

According to the Government, changes to the Constitution involve including parts of nations in the Preamble and Articles 49 and 78 of the Constitution, in listing the parts of nations in the country.  

"That is, as regards to the wording: "The citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Macedonian people, as well as citizens living within its borders who are part of the Albanian people, the Turkish people, the Vlach people, the Serbian people, the Romany people, the Bosniak people and others", a comma is placed after "the Bosniak people" and the following is added: the Bulgarian people, the Croatian people, the Montenegrin people, the Slovenian people, the Jewish people and the Egyptian people," said the Government. 

It adds that the draft constitutional amendments strengthen the multi-ethnic character of the Republic of North Macedonia.

"Our country is a successful example of a functional, multi-ethnic democracy in the region and in Europe, and an example of respect for civil and human rights. We have shown to the region, to Europe and to the world that the coexistence of different communities in this country, for centuries throughout history and until today, and the mutual respect of different traditions and cultures are a treasure and an advantage. The Republic of North Macedonia practices European values ​​and deserves to be a full-fledged EU member, following the NATO membership," the press release reads. 

According to the Government, the citizens and the country have an unrepeatable opportunity to reaffirm the European path, speed up European integration and achieve the European goal by 2030.

"The citizens deserve to be European citizens, to have a European quality of life and a European standard of living, in a European country, and that should be their native country. Also, in conditions where, in the geopolitical context, our strategic friends the United States and the member states of NATO and the EU see the Republic of North Macedonia as a factor of stability, it befits us, as citizens and as a country - a reliable partner of the democratic international community, to contribute to the security of the region and the EU. For all these reasons, the Government expects constructiveness from all political entities represented through the MPs, conscientiousness from all MPs and a focus towards achieving cross-party consensus in the adoption of the constitutional amendments as part of the Negotiating Framework with the European Union," reads the press release. 

The decision of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia on amendments to the Constitution, the Government points out, will enable holding the second intergovernmental conference with the EU by December 2023, opening the chapters in the negotiations, intensifying the reforms and fast accession to the EU.

"The Government calls for reason and awareness of the current momentum in which the country has the opportunity to avoid another long-year isolation and, on the contrary, to finally realize the European perspectives," the press release reads. 

Photo: Government of the Republic of North Macedonia