Skopje, 31 August 2023 (MIA) – We have a positive signal from the European Union, it is up to us how quickly and in what way we will join the EU. The statement about the different speeds means that some candidate countries will join the EU faster, and some slower, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said on Thursday.

"Currently we have a launched screening process, which is set to resume on September 15 with a focus on energy, and a report on the first cluster, and according to the negotiating framework we have an obligation to adopt constitutional changes which means that it is up to us how quickly and in what way we join the EU. I lead the European coalition which states that by 2030 North Macedonia will become the first country from the Western Balkans to become an EU member. On the opposite side we have an anti-European and isolationist coalition that wants isolation and to wait another 10, 20, 30 years, without offering an alternative," said Kovachevski.

The PM pointed out that the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, for the first time after 20 years, at the Bled Strategic Forum confirmed that 2030 will be the year when the EU enlargement will take place, and that two parallel processes will be conducted – reforms of the European Union and of the candidate states.

"Emmanuel Macron’s statement is not so different from this statement, nor his previous statement that countries should begin accession to EU based on the reforms. Which means that whoever implements the reforms faster and fulfills the EU's membership criteria will become a member before those who do not. If there are five countries seeking EU membership it does not mean that those five countries will join the EU together, only those that are prepared will join the EU by 2030," Kovachevski explained.ssh/ad/

Photo: MIA