Skopje, 9 November 2023 (MIA) – In answer to a journalist’s question Thursday, European Union Ambassador David Geer noted that the EC’s decision to recommend accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova is based on an objective assessment of the fulfillment of the set conditions and represents a historic decision. He added that the EC knows that it must to get the Western Balkans into the EU as well, which is why they’ve presented the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, in order to ensure the countries start to get the benefits of membership.

“The Commission carried out, I think, an objective assessment and on that basis has made a recommendation that Ukraine and Moldova should move forward. That’s to be welcomed. That’s part of the merit-based process. Now we have to focus here, first of all the important thing is to see the reforms happening, I don’t want to see no progress in the report, I want to see good progress in these crucial areas, that’s where the emphasis has to be done and this report judges how this country has done in the past year in reforms. Of course, you have a track record of reforms which you can build on, you are well advanced compared to Ukraine. Ukraine is beginning this process. But, nonetheless, I think these are separate objective reports looking at performance. And, at the same time, the European Commission has said okay this is a historic decision for Ukraine and Moldova, but we also know that we need to get the Western Balkans into the European Union, we want you in. So, what we’ve done is we’ve put on the table this Growth Plan, which is a really, as I’ve said a significant new step to ensure that through economic and social convergence you start to get the benefits of membership already, and you can advance more rapidly to the European Union. But the rest, it’s your homework, it’s your decision, it’s for you to take, and if you take those decisions, working together, then you will join the European Union,” said Geer at a joint press conference Thursday with Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs, Bojan Marichikj.

According to Deputy PM Marichikj, the opening of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova will create additional pressure for the Union not to forget about the Western Balkans, because, he said, it would be a geostrategic mistake by the EU.

“I think that the opening of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova will create additional pressure over the Union so that it does not allow for the Western Balkans to be forgotten. This would be a geostrategic mistake by the European Union, if they forget the Western Balkans in the following enlargement package whenever this happens, and we think it is possible to have it happen by the end of this decade, i.e., by 2030,” said Marichikj. 

In terms of the new dynamics of enlargement, the Deputy PM reminded of the need to discuss the way in which bilateral issues between EU member states and candidate countries directly damage the credibility of the accession process.

“This is an important issue, and North Macedonia has experienced the consequences of the accession process being held up by bilateral issues with certain member states. So I think if we are talking about reforms, I think a merit system should be established where the countries which are good with the reforms will have a chance to progress without being obstructed by any member state, and by any bilateral issue that doesn’t belong in the corpus of EU negotiations,” said Marichikj.