Skopje, 23 August 2023 (MIA) — It is much more important to think how to overtake negotiating countries in some chapters than whether a chapter may be revisited, according to Deputy Prime Minister Bojan Marichikj in response to a reporter's question regarding the new EU negotiation framework provision saying if there was a setback in the process, even a closed chapter could be reopened.

The chief negotiator with the EU said the country "should not be afraid of this, if we are going to enter the European integration process with full support and full capacities."

"On the contrary, I think we should see this as an opportunity," he said. "Some countries in the region will indeed have reasons to worry about going back, but we have to worry about how to make up for lost time – the 10 years Serbia and Montenegro have already been negotiating."

According to Marichikj, the new provision on reopening a closed chapter was introduced based on the EU's past experiences in the negotiations with Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia. He said some candidate countries, after fulfilling conditions at some point, could also regress at a later stage.

He said the provision was "a mechanism for those states that regress," pointing out that reopening chapters necessitated an agreement of two-thirds of the member states.

Marichikj also noted that the new methodology applied to all negotiating states.

"It applies to us, to Albania, to Serbia, to Montenegro, to everyone currently negotiating. I expect that at the end of this year, a decision will be made on negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, too. I wouldn't be surprised if this happens," he said. mr/