Skopje, 29 July 2021 (MIA) – Every regional initiative is welcome, but this must not be an alternative to full-fledged membership of the country in the European Union, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski told a press conference on Thursday. “Macedonia should immediately start negotiations with the EU this years, because we’ve deserved it for more than, I’d say, ten years, with fulfilled criteria. However, unfortunately, due to various artificial, stilted obstacles, we haven’t started negotiations so far,” Mickoski said. In response to a reporter’s question about the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative, he stressed that there’s no alternative to the EU. “We should immediately start negotiations as a country and the European Union should deliver that this year. The next such opportunity is the summit that will be held in December. So, to conclude my answer, there is no alternative to the European Union,” Mickoski pointed out.