22 December 2021 (MIA) Skopje – Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Wednesday sent his resignation letter to the Parliament Speaker. He wrote he won’t explain the reasons why he is stepping down in a public address. Skopje – President Stevo Pendarovski said Wednesday the settlement of the Bulgaria dispute should not be rushed because when faced with a challenge of this caliber, rushing is not always the best ally, and instead be obsessed with key reforms at home. Skopje – The European Union is made up of countries with a unique socio-cultural development – you are not accepted there as no man’s land, like a rootless tree, President Stevo Pendarovski said Wednesday in his annual address in Parliament. Skopje – President Stevo Pendarovski briefly commented in his annual address on the withdrawal of Zoran Zaev, “with whom we have been fighting battles in the broad civil movement for human rights and freedoms for the past ten years”. Skopje – Non-selectivity in the rule of law and responsibility are the best way to overcome the social apathy that is spreading, and the disappointment, especially among the younger ones who do not believe that there can ever be justice in this country. Many studies confirm that the emigration of our fellow citizens, to a large extent, is caused not only by existential reasons, but also by the quality of life, President Stevo Pendarovski said Wednesday in his annual address in Parliament with Speaker Talat Xhaferi, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, lawmakers, ministers, diplomats and members of the media in attendance. Skopje – A month ago, we signed a joint declaration with NATO, by which we formally completed the process of military integration in the Alliance. Although the health and energy crises are pushing for a different set of budget priorities, we must remain committed to investing in defense and security because they are the basis for the functioning of all other social sectors. I will mention only two examples from the last year when we were convinced that investing in defense means investing in dealing with difficult situations in completely different areas. We all witnessed the engagement of the Army during the biggest peaks of the pandemic when parts of the army units were engaged in support of health and other institutions in the country. Or, the sacrificial participation of the Army in dealing with the fires this summer, said President Stevo Pendarovski in his annual address in Parliament on Wednesday. Skopje – The EU accession of Turkey, North Macedonia and the rest of the Balkan countries is crucial both from a political and from an economic aspect. We want North Macedonia to start EU talks as soon as possible. Negotiations, which have a three-fold importance for member states and candidate countries, should not be prevented by political obstacles. Shared values should be used to put pressure on certain countries. The EU must be objective when it comes to these issues. North Macedonia’s EU accession is important both for the Balkans and for the Union, the Speaker of The Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa Şentop, said in an interview with MIA. Skopje – Former director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK) will be released from detention on a EUR 11,1 million bail, the Skopje-based Appellate Court told MIA. Skopje – The Skopje Appellate Court’s decision to release Sasho Mijalkov from detention diminishes the already undermined public confidence in courts, says Justice Minister Bojan Marichikj. Skopje – No additional restrictions are planned for the holidays, and some of the COVID centers and internal wards are going back to normal, Health Minister Venko Filipche said during Wednesday’s visit to the Orthopedic Clinic, adding that the coronavirus situation was calm. Skopje – North Macedonia registered 320 new COVID-19 infections after 3,366 tests were conducted in labs across the country in the past 24 hours. In the same period, eight deaths and 214 recoveries were reported, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Skopje – SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski and party secretary in charge of international cooperation Bojan Marichikj met on Wednesday with an OSCE delegation, led by the Head of Mission, Ambassador Clemens Koja. Skopje – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a €110 million loan to finance the construction of and supervision services for a 10.2-km stretch of motorway from Bukojchani to Kichevo in the west of the country, as well as detailed design services for a 4-km subsection. The EU is co-financing the project with a €20 million investment grant through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). Skopje – Registered legal entities in the Central Register has already been connected to the Document Management System (DMS), Ministry of Information Society and Administration said in a press release on Wednesday. Skopje – The Development Bank of North Macedonia took out on Wednesday the second tranche of the European Investment Bank loan for small and medium-sized enterprises. This portion of the loan, it said in a press release, stands at EUR 42.2 million and will support 132 projects of domestic companies, set to hire 373 new workers. Skopje – Students from eight Skopje high schools created an art mosaic on social inclusion dubbed “Cyberculture”, which aims at putting a spotlight on how cyberculture, i.e. social media, influence young people and the way they think. Brussels – The European Commission said on Wednesday it is going to take legal action against Poland due to “serious concerns with respect to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal.” Athens – The Greek coastguard said many people from a migrant boat were still missing in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday, after it rescued 12 people overnight. Cairo – Starting in January, 8 million people in war-devastated Yemen will get reduced food rations – despite growing hunger in the impoverished country – due to a shortfall in funds, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday.