Skopje, 9 January 2023 (MIA) – Now the most important thing is that we remain committed to our strategic goal, and ensure the continuation of the EU negotiations, said Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj addressing National European Integration Council (NEIC) on Monday at which Swedish Ambassador Ami Larsson Jain presented priorities of the Swedish EU Presidency.

“Therefore, we must unite around the issue of the European future of the country and with a political consensus provide the citizens with stability, prosperity, new opportunities and European standards and functioning of the state based on European principles and values. I think that we all want that for the country, for all citizens and the generations to come, and we need to confirm it in action,” Marichikj said.

“In the coming period, an intensive transformation of the Macedonian society awaits us, preparation of the roadmaps for the rule of law and public administration reform, completion of the screening process, reports from it, individually for each cluster, which will be the basis for the revision of the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) and creation of priorities in its implementation. We have enough time to successfully complete the constitutional amendments, to maintain the dynamics of the negotiation process and avoid a new veto, this time due to our political factor, waiting again and putting the country into a deadlock and uncertainty,” Marichikj added.

He expressed his expectation that the institutions and the Parliament will take responsibility and show proactivity, for a quick and thorough implementation of the European reform agenda and North Macedonia to join the European Union by 2030.

“Until June 30, 2023, we will work jointly with Sweden on all key topics and challenges brought about and imposed by the war in Ukraine. Only with unity can we contribute to the progress of our European future and the future of Europe. I am convinced that we will succeed in using these six months for progress and intensification of reforms, and in the next six months during the Spanish presidency, we will ensure the process of negotiations with the EU and the European future of the country, with which North Macedonia will enter the next phase of the European integration and will hold the second intergovernmental conference with the EU,” he underlined.

He reminded that during the Czech EU Presidency, after 17 years, North Macedonia took the historic step on the way to the EU – it started the EU negotiations and that real changes in the European integration of the region were made with the granting EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo’s submitting application to join the EU, which is a confirmation, as he said, of the real commitment of the Czech Republic to the EU’s enlargement agenda.

“It is clear that the war in Ukraine has prompted a revival of the EU’s enlargement policy. The security crisis confirmed that unity is the key to the stability of Europe and the region, but it also showed that North Macedonia is a credible and reliable partner of the EU, with one hundred percent compliance with European foreign policy. I am pleased by the fact that Sweden remains committed to the EU integration of the Western Balkans, as well as to the security situation in the region, which is particularly important for the EU,” Marichikj said.

Marichikj reaffirmed that one of the main goals of the Swedish EU Presidency is the completion of the negotiation of the climate part of the ‘Fit For 55’ package.

“By signing the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, North Macedonia, as EU candidate country, affirmed its commitment to achieving the EU’s strategic commitment to be climate neutral by 2050. Through the implementation of the activities from the Green Agenda, which are at the same time part of the EU integration process of the country, I believe that it will contribute to the realization of the ambitious medium-term goals of the EU to reduce greenhouse gases to 55 percent by 2030, that is, to the ultimate vision of the EU for climate neutrality by 2050,” Marichikj underlined.

Marichikj added that Sweden has always been strong supporter on our EU path and our partner in achieving European standards at home, and confirmation of this is its decade-long presence in North Macedonia through continuous assistance in implementing and achieving European standards at home.

“Currently, Sweden is the only member of the EU that has bilateral development aid in the country, and in the last few years, within the framework of the project Nordic support for the progress of North Macedonia, supported by Sweden and Norway, considerable aid has been provided for the implementation of European reforms in the country. Within the framework of the project, national and international experts were engaged and were involved in the preparation of about 100 laws and by-laws, in which specific EU measures are transposed, several analyzes and policy documents were prepared and several trainings were conducted. In addition, grants are currently being implemented to support civil society organizations and media for the implementation of activities to raise public awareness and bring the process closer to citizens, which is especially important at a time of increasing number of fake news and misinformation,” Marichikj noted.