Skopje, 23 January 2023 (MIA) – Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj told Monday the Parliament’s Committee for European Affairs that he and the Government are ready to discuss and adopt a law on EU membership negotiations.

“We should use this opportunity for constitutional amendments and to give everyone the chance to participate in the discussion concerning those amendments because there are all sorts of mechanisms. We are ready to even discuss a law on EU membership negotiations that will help us resolve all issues, even the change of the Parliamentary Rulebook, which has been a challenge for years. There is readiness and political will, so let’s speed things up for the sake of the citizens,” Deputy PM Marichikj said in response to VMRO-DPMNE MPs.

The task ahead is to “determine the state’s direction over the next 10 years and stabilize North Macedonia’s European perspective”.

“It’s up to all of us to make 2023 a year to remember in our clear and secure European perspective, or a year in which we stumble upon another blockade, caused internally this time,” Marichikj said, referring to the screening.

“I am certain that the state and society will find the strength to make the right call and make 2023 the year that will speed up our path to the EU, which we hope to reach by 2030,” added Marichikj.

He also believes that 2023 should be the year of a successfully completed screening process, important reforms, as well as a year of unity and political consensus in negotiations and opening the chapters by completing the necessary constitutional amendments determined by the negotiating framework.

Marichikj thinks that a clear plan and a sincere political will from all political factors is necessary because this process is bigger than any Government, and that the EC’s positive feedback should serve as added motivation.

“The official judgment and key insights are awaited in the screening reports, which will be a good basis to prepare the next reform activities and a timely preparation for negotiating groups,” he said.

The Government is responsible for negotiations with the EU but that does not mean it is a solely government-led process.

“We have shown openness and we call to openness from all political factors and societal actors. We have also shown will to cooperate with them. This difficult and complex task requires the involvement of all of society, and that is why I’d like to take this opportunity to call upon the institutions, civil society, the business community, the academic community and the media to contribute towards a quick and efficient realization of this big and serious project – our EU membership,” Marichikj said.

The Deputy PM pointed out the role of civil society organizations in the negotiations process, saying out that the possible modalities used for consultation of the civil organizations are being created.

“We will need more synergy to speed up the processes to the extent that the citizens expect. That is why we will need to define the Government’s cooperation with the Committee for European Affairs and the National European Integration Council, and together with the Council for cooperation between the Government and civil society organizations, yield significant results soon,” Marichikj said. dk/ik/