Prilep, 18 February 2026 (MIA) - Through their protests, transporters realized one of the fundamental demands, namely the start of a dialogue that is ongoing and one that should produce final solutions, said Deputy PM and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski on Wednesday.

Minister Nikoloski said SDSM was twisting the facts, rejecting claims made by leader Venko Filipche that he lied by saying recently that the problem with the transporters entering the European Union was solved.

Nikoloski told reporters in Prilep that dialogue is ongoing and there is time for final solutions for transporters, since the Entry/Exit System (EES) would be delayed until September.

"The European Commission President has said that such dialogue will happen and presented a document titled Visa Strategy, in which drivers are acknowledged as professionals. This was one of the fundamental demands, and the final decisions are to be reached within this ongoing dialogue. No one expects that all aspects are solved in two weeks, let alone in a system such as the EU. What I said and what the EU said was that the dialogue will begin and the new visa strategy is the pathway to be followed. This is happening now, everything else is a twisting of facts. We have already held two meetings - one at a political level and a technical one," said Nikoloski.

He said another technical meeting would take place on February 24.

"There is enough time to find solutions, considering that the implementation of the EES has been delayed until September. There is sufficient time to find solutions that all 29 countries within the Schengen zone will be able to implement," said Nikoloski.

Photo: MIA