Skopje, 6 September 2022 (MIA) – The Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Bojan Marichikj, and the former Croatian chief EU negotiator, Vladimir Drobnjak, held two coordinative meetings with the ministers in charge of the clusters and the Working Committee for EU Integration with the state secretaries of the institutions. According to the Deputy PM’s Office, Marichikj stated that the experience of the former Croatian negotiator, Drobnjak, will be of great use and will help the country overcome the challenges it will face during the negotiations. “Beginning EU accession talks is a big political challenge for any country, but the real work begins after the negotiations begin,” said Drobnjak, adding that it is impossible to assess how long North Macedonia’s accession talks will last. Deputy PM Marichikj pointed out that the country is beginning a complex process of changes, during which serious commitment will be necessary, stating that Drobnjak’s expertise will undoubtedly contribute at this crucial moment, when the country is preparing for the most important and difficult stage of the EU integration process – the negotiations. Taking into account Croatia’s experience in the area, Drobnjak spoke to the Macedonian ministers and state secretaries of the challenges that North Macedonia might face during the process. “Negotiations have begun and you must run this marathon responsibly,” said Drobnjak, adding that North Macedonia has certain advantages compared to the other countries and that it can count on Croatia’s support during the entirety of the process. According to the Deputy PM’s office, Marichikj and Drobnjak agreed that North Macedonia is entering a new stage of EU integration and that this will be a complex process, during which the country must remain active and work on reforms. Drobnjak will additionally present Croatia’s EU accession experience, the new methodology, the negotiating framework and the negotiating procedures to the management structure of the Secretariat for European Affairs. ad/ba/