Skopje, 26 May 2023 (MIA) - We risk our European integration if we do not make the next steps on the EU path. We will again find ourselves in a state of stagnation as was the case between 2006 and 2016, and we cannot allow this to happen. North Macedonia will move forward and we will fulfill our strategic objective - full-fledged EU membership by 2030, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Friday.

PM Kovachevski told a Q&A session in Parliament that messages coming from the United States must be taken seriously, because they come from North Macedonia's biggest strategic partner that would continue to support the country in making bold and wise decisions on the EU path.

According to him, friendship with the U.S. is a big guarantee for the stability of North Macedonia and the region, adding he "cannot imagine how irresponsible can one be amid this risky geopolitical context and the war in Ukraine, leaving its country on a slippery slope".

"The message coming from the U.S. is very clear, reaffirmed earlier today by Senator Chris Murphy, that all political parties have to support the European path as the only strategic way for North Macedonia to join the EU after it became a NATO member. Washington will help us in every step of the way in meeting the obligations of the negotiating framework and resuming the EU accession negotiations. Their remarks are most well-intentioned. The eyes of the European public and NATO partners are directed at us because they see the country as a factor of stability and security in the region and Europe. Let me assure you that all strategic partners support the constitutional amendments and changes to the Preamble by incorporating parts of other nations, a decision that is good for all of us," said Kovachevski.

Photo: MIA screenshot