PM: We are ready for the EU, hard work on reforms next
Skopje, 20 July 2022 (MIA) — Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski held a reception Wednesday to celebrate the start of North Macedonia’s European Union membership negotiations. Attendees included President Stevo Pendarovski, high government officials, lawmakers, ambassadors of EU member states, politicians, civil society members, media representatives, and businesspeople.
PM Kovachevski congratulated citizens on the country’s official start of EU talks saying the process to admit North Macedonia into the EU had finally started after 17 years.
“Yesterday, we opened a new chapter in Macedonian history. A European chapter that will bring accelerated development, prosperity and stability,” the Prime Minister said.
He thanked the citizens for their perseverance and vision for a European future. Despite many challenges, he said, “we decided to face all our fears and make bold decisions about the future, and not remain hostages of the past.”
“We decided to be resolved, brave, wise and selfless, not to think of ourselves, but of future generations, to think of our country and of peace, security, stability and the future,” Kovachevski said.
Making progressive decisions, coupled with having a clear plan for the future and being committed to the prosperity of the state and all its citizens, he said was “the purest and most sincere form of respect and love for one’s homeland.”
This was the basis for making the decision that made it possible to open the negotiations, he said, while safeguarding the Macedonian identity, the Macedonian language, culture, and uniqueness.
“I assure you, and this was also confirmed on several occasions by high representatives of the European Union, both here at home and yesterday in Brussels, that our positions are safeguarded and confirmed."
"The EU accepts us as Macedonians who speak the Macedonian language with unconditional respect for the dignity and uniqueness of the Macedonian people as well as our identity and historical and cultural peculiarities,” Kovachevski said, stressing that these were non-negotiable.
The Macedonian language, he highlighted, would be valued, respected, and further promoted through its use as one of the official EU languages after the country joins the bloc.
“Our peculiarities, specifics, tradition, culture, and customs will remain authentically ours, Macedonian, while also shared with all our friends in the European Union. That is what will make us and the European Union richer,” Kovachevski said.
In the history of every nation, he said, there were landmark moments, and yesterday was a historic date for North Macedonia.
“Yesterday, in front of 27 member states, surrounded by the support of our European friends, I had the great honor, on behalf of the citizens, to speak in my native Macedonian language,” Kovachevski said, adding that the support the country had received so far “gives us the full right to be full of hope and confident that we will all come out stronger and more stable from this, and move forward into a more promising future together.”
“We are ready for the EU,” the PM said. “Our country is Europe in miniature. We live the motto of the European Union every day. We are a multicultural and multi-ethnic society. We are united in our differences. We are proud of them. This is what makes us stronger.”
“Now we have to put this readiness to work and move forward quickly. A time of hard work is ahead of us. And I am looking forward to this. Today marks the start of hard and dedicated work on reforms, on aligning our law with European law, and on economic, political, social development,” Kovachevski said, expressing his belief that increased EU assistance in the near future would provide significant support to the country's citizens and the economy.
“One chapter has been closed. We opened a new one,” the PM said. “Now is the time when we should stand together, united, full of optimism and faith in a better tomorrow, so we can join forces and dedicate ourselves to developing a strong, successful, and prosperous European state." mr/
PM Kovachevski congratulated citizens on the country’s official start of EU talks saying the process to admit North Macedonia into the EU had finally started after 17 years.
“Yesterday, we opened a new chapter in Macedonian history. A European chapter that will bring accelerated development, prosperity and stability,” the Prime Minister said.
He thanked the citizens for their perseverance and vision for a European future. Despite many challenges, he said, “we decided to face all our fears and make bold decisions about the future, and not remain hostages of the past.”
“We decided to be resolved, brave, wise and selfless, not to think of ourselves, but of future generations, to think of our country and of peace, security, stability and the future,” Kovachevski said.
Making progressive decisions, coupled with having a clear plan for the future and being committed to the prosperity of the state and all its citizens, he said was “the purest and most sincere form of respect and love for one’s homeland.”
This was the basis for making the decision that made it possible to open the negotiations, he said, while safeguarding the Macedonian identity, the Macedonian language, culture, and uniqueness.
“I assure you, and this was also confirmed on several occasions by high representatives of the European Union, both here at home and yesterday in Brussels, that our positions are safeguarded and confirmed."
"The EU accepts us as Macedonians who speak the Macedonian language with unconditional respect for the dignity and uniqueness of the Macedonian people as well as our identity and historical and cultural peculiarities,” Kovachevski said, stressing that these were non-negotiable.
The Macedonian language, he highlighted, would be valued, respected, and further promoted through its use as one of the official EU languages after the country joins the bloc.
“Our peculiarities, specifics, tradition, culture, and customs will remain authentically ours, Macedonian, while also shared with all our friends in the European Union. That is what will make us and the European Union richer,” Kovachevski said.
In the history of every nation, he said, there were landmark moments, and yesterday was a historic date for North Macedonia.
“Yesterday, in front of 27 member states, surrounded by the support of our European friends, I had the great honor, on behalf of the citizens, to speak in my native Macedonian language,” Kovachevski said, adding that the support the country had received so far “gives us the full right to be full of hope and confident that we will all come out stronger and more stable from this, and move forward into a more promising future together.”
“We are ready for the EU,” the PM said. “Our country is Europe in miniature. We live the motto of the European Union every day. We are a multicultural and multi-ethnic society. We are united in our differences. We are proud of them. This is what makes us stronger.”
“Now we have to put this readiness to work and move forward quickly. A time of hard work is ahead of us. And I am looking forward to this. Today marks the start of hard and dedicated work on reforms, on aligning our law with European law, and on economic, political, social development,” Kovachevski said, expressing his belief that increased EU assistance in the near future would provide significant support to the country's citizens and the economy.
“One chapter has been closed. We opened a new one,” the PM said. “Now is the time when we should stand together, united, full of optimism and faith in a better tomorrow, so we can join forces and dedicate ourselves to developing a strong, successful, and prosperous European state." mr/
