Skopje, 28 June 2022 (MIA0 – The European Parliament is a strong supporter of North Macedonia’s European integration, said Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) at the 19th meeting of the European Union-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (EU-NRM JPC) taking place in the Parliament on Tuesday. JPC co-chair, MEP Andreas Schieder, said in his online address that the European Parliament and the EU delegation strongly support the country’s swift start of the accession negotiations. “We are convinced that North Macedonia has implemented essential and political reforms in judiciary and other fields in which we work together, and I believe that the start of the negotiations is the best way. Nevertheless, I understand there are red lines because a country, a nation cannot put issues related to identity, language and history in the constitution preamble. It is important to talk about the future of the EU, not the past, and this is what all 27 member-states are aware of,” said Scheider. JPC deputy chair, MEP Irena Joveva delivered her remarks in Macedonian and voiced assurance that the language would be an official language in the EP in the future. “The EP majority clearly supports the country’s European integration and the complications we have been witnessing don’t depend on us. However, I will remain to be optimistic and say that we will soon be able to demonstrate concrete progress through an agreement that I believe could happen if there is political will and readiness for cooperation,” noted Joveva. MP Sonja Mirakovska, JPC co-chair on the part of North Macedonia, said the country has experienced one of the longest and most complex journeys in the EU, whereas the large European delegation demonstrates the EP’s continued support to Skopje’s European prospects, primarily the sooner start of the accession negotiations. “European leaders must understand that our red lines are: clear formulation on the Macedonian language in the negotiating framework and clear protection of the Macedonian identity, issues related to history not to serve as benchmarks in the negotiating framework, and negotiations to start before the constitutional revision,” added Mirakovska. The EU-RNM JPC, set up in 2004 based on the Stabilization and Association Agreement, is a forum for exchange of experiences and positions towards strengthening mutual partnership. The committee meets twice a year – in the Parliament of North Macedonia and in the European Parliament.