Skopje, 14 July 2022 (MIA) – SDSM whip Jovan Mitrevski said Thursday the party, support by MPs of the ruling majority, have put forward conclusions for protection of the linguistic, identity, cultural and historical traits of the Macedonian people and implementation of the EU negotiations, highlighting the observance of the highest national state interests, strategic commitment for EU membership through fully protected Macedonian language and identity. Elaborating the conclusions at today’s press conference in the Parliament, MP Mitrevski said the Government is tasked with consistently abiding by the commitment for unconditional respect of the linguistic, identity, historical and cultural traits of the Macedonian people, elements that are non-negotiable with the EU. According to the conclusions, the negotiations are to take place on equal and principled basis while observing the norms of international law and unconditional respect of the dignity and uniqueness of the Macedonian people, and in full accordance with the Resolution adopted in the Parliament on 29 July 2021. “The Government is tasked with ensuring that the Macedonian language is formulated in the negotiating framework without any additional explanations, additions or footnotes. The Government is also obliged, when concluding agreements, treaties, documents with the EU that include a linguistic qualifier through individual listing of all official languages of the EU, such as the FRONTEX agreement, to sign them by naming the Macedonian language without any explanations, additions or footnotes,” elaborated Mitrevski. The Government, he added, is also obliged to reject any other solution on the Macedonian language other than the one defined in the negotiating framework over the course of the accession negotiations up to their completion and the conclusion of North Macedonia’s EU Accession Treaty and the country’s full-fledged membership, thus making the Macedonian language one of the official EU languages without any explanations, additions or footnotes. “The Government is obliged that bilateral issues related to bilateral good neighborliness agreements not directly linked to EU law and the Copenhagen criteria are not benchmarks for the opening and closing of chapters and clusters during the EU accession negotiations. The negotiating framework to be adopted immediately, at the start of the accession negotiations. Regarding the first intergovernmental conference, the opening of the accession negotiations and the screening process, as well as the next intergovernmental conference for completion of the negotiating framework, in accordance with the proposal of the French EU Presidency, decisions to be taken immediately so they do not depend on subsequent decisions by member states,” noted Mitrevski. He added that the Government is also obliged to incorporate these conclusions in the opening statement of the Republic of North Macedonia at the first intergovernmental conference with the EU. In addition, the Government is tasked with continually informing the Parliament on the course of the accession negotiations, including the screening process as the initial opening stage of the accession talks, as well as the course of the intergovernmental conferences. “It is time for a decision. By adopting the conclusions that are mandatory for the incumbent but also future governments we will ensure the country’s European path while unconditionally observing the linguistic, identity, historical and cultural traits of the Macedonian people, which are non-negotiable. All MPs should engage in the process of adopting the conclusions, considering the strategic national interests for EU membership, give a task to the Government to resume talks with the EU in order to unblock the Euro-integration process and adopt the negotiating framework by incorporating European principles and standards but also the Copenhagen criteria, in line with the specifics and attained results,” concluded Mitrevski.