Skopje, 10 January 2024 (MIA) - When making appointments in public institutions, it is important to do this based on merit, meaning qualifications, skills, experience, and not based on affiliation to a party or personal connections. Regarding various claims on outside political influence, we call on authorities to look into them and act on results from those investigations, said European Union Ambassador David Geer on Wednesday.

Ambassador Geer said there are obligations when it comes to air navigation and EU-related legislation in implementing those commitments.

"This includes guaranteeing the independence of the air navigation authority, and in regard to the recruitment and hiring, namely that human resources are used in a way that guarantees the security and efficiency of the air navigation service," Ambassador Geer told reporters.

On the court's failure to issue detention orders for those involved in the M-NAV incident, the EU Ambassador said the country's obligations regarding the critical infrastructure are clear.

"I do not comment on court decisions but I believe we have said clearly what are the obligations when it comes to guaranteeing the protection of not only this system but all systems within the critical infrastructure," said Geer.

The EU delegation said yesterday it is closely monitoring the developments related to the national air navigation service provider M-NAV with concern. At the same time, it is crucial that appointments in the national air navigation services provider and related services, as well as in other institutions, be based on merit, qualifications, and experience.

"We remind of the fact that North Macedonia has committed to implementing EU legislation related to Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). This includes provisions aimed at ensuring the independence of ANSP from the state, that personnel - especially air traffic controllers - meet the legal requirements for such positions, and that the service provision respects objectives related to safety, efficiency, capacity, and the environment," as outlined in the press release.

Photo: MIA