Skopje, 21 June 2023 (MIA) – The United States Ambassador to North Macedonia, Angela Aggeler, said Wednesday that the US blacklist will expand with other Macedonian citizens, in addition to Ramiz Merko, but, she said, she couldn’t specify when this would happen. 

“These designations take time, they follow a very close and careful legal process of review, so they are not taken lightly, and they’re not taken quickly. At any given moment, there are a number of names under consideration, as our legal office in the State Department and other offices review evidence. So I can’t speak about the timing of any future announcements, I am confident those will be coming, when that is, I can’t say because the process is so careful,” said Aggeler.

Aggeler said the United States takes the fight against corruption very seriously.

“The people of North Macedonia have the right to have elected officials that they can believe in and that they can trust. What happens from here on I would never presume to say, I am the US Ambassador, I am not Macedonian, so it is not for me to suggest further actions on the part of the Government or the judiciary of this country,” said the Ambassador.

The Ambassador stressed that the designation of Ramiz Merko by the Department of State is a part of US law that requires the Secretary of State to designate the individual when the country is presented with overwhelming evidence of corruption.

“But I hope we can continue to work together with those of goodwill and good intention to try to fight corruption. And while this is a serious issue and a priority for us at the Embassy, we have so many wonderful partnerships across this country and within the Government that we are very proud of, and we will continue to commit to and provide every kind of assistance that we can to support these strong powerful institutions and partnerships,” stressed Aggeler.

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