President Milanović Supports North Macedonia’s European Path: Negotiations for Membership in European Union Should Start as Soon as Possible

At the invitation of the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski is on a two-day Official visit to the Republic of Croatia. The Official visit started on Wednesday, 30 June, at an official welcoming ceremony in the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia. After a tête-à-tête between the two Presidents, and a bilateral meeting between the two official delegations of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of North Macedonia, the two Presidents held a press conference.

President Milanović stated that the Republic of North Macedonia is a friendly state that has no open issues with the Republic of Croatia, and regarding the issues discussed at the meeting, the Croatian President said that discussions focused on North Macedonia’s European path “what is important to North Macedonia, what is important to us, and on military cooperation and the possibilities of military cooperation”.

“We discussed the Croatian defense industry, but much more North Macedonia”, President Milanović noted, and emphasized that its accession to the European Union will not be simple and that many efforts and friendly assistance will be required. “Croatia knows how much persistence and hard work is necessary in order to be able to achieve these goals”. The same awaits North Macedonia, but on this path we will do our utmost so that there is no straying and wandering”, President Milanović remarked.

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski said in his statement that the citizens of both countries are connected thanks to deep cultural and geographic ties, that our languages are similar, culture, mentality, principles and values. “For us Croatia has a special role and significance”, the Macedonian President stated and thanked the Republic of Croatia for its support.

“For us there is no alternative except full-fledged membership in the European Union and that’s why we will continue to work with the same intensity. To be sure, in order to achieve that goal it is not enough to wish it, but to be committed to it. The contemporary world is immune when it comes to geopolitical conflicts and crises, and each country tries to provide security and prosperity to its citizens, and without cooperation that would be impossible. We have to take advantage of the capital in our bilateral relations, take advantage of our trade and cooperation, cooperation in the areas of tourism and science”, President Pendarovski said, and added that he encourages representatives of the business community to hold bilateral discussions with their Croatian colleagues and talk about possible developments.

“The opening of a cultural and information centre of North Macedonia in Zagreb is our new plan that will provide opportunities for cultural exchanges. One of the issues that we discussed at the meeting was the status of Macedonians in the Republic of Croatia and the status of Croats in the Republic of North Macedonia. Objectively speaking, the status of these minorities in both countries is on a relatively high level, but there is always room for improvement. Once again, let me thank President Milanović for his hospitality and the wonderful stay here in Zagreb”, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia said in his statement to the media.

Asked to comment on the statement of the Portuguese Foreign Minister who said that the Macedonian language is actually Bulgarian, President Milanović told reporters that the problem facing North Macedonia is actually a domestic policy issue, not a foreign policy one. “When one intrudes into someone’s intimate space in delicate issues such as identity, the right to a name, the right to a language, that never ends well, and especially when the motives are opportunistic. We live in the European Union, which is a community of nations, therefore peculiarities, identities. That statement is primarily a result of ignorance or carelessness”, President Milanović replied.

In this context he commented on the issue between North Macedonia and its neighbour Bulgaria. “The problem of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia at the moment is Schengen. If that is a way for Bulgaria to put the focus on itself in order to become a member of Schengen as soon as possible, then I don’t see that as an effective way and the direction in which to go. Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia should enter Schengen as soon as possible. Schengen didn’t fail, didn’t fall apart, it was in a state of great temptation in the past year and a half. That is the European Union that is unchangeable. Croats are a nation, Macedonians are a nation, Serbs, Germans, Portuguese. We’re different, we’re different in terms of language, faith and in many aspects. I don’t see the European Union as a union of special, uniform values, but as having common denominators. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we’ll move forward”, President Milanović noted.

Reporters were interested in knowing the President’s expectations of the Slovenian presidency of the EU Council in the second half of this year, and how it will reflect on the start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. “I’m glad for the sake of North Macedonia that Slovenia is assuming the presidency. I’m certain that Slovenia will be objective and have a friendly disposition. That’s good news”, the Croatian President said, and added that the states that will preside the EU in the coming years, first of all unfortunately consider their domestic policy situations and the reactions of parts of their electorate on EU enlargement. “North Macedonia and Albania have to start negotiations as soon as possible”, President Milanović remarked.

President Milanović also commented on the proposal of European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi whereby negotiations for North Macedonia and Albania should be separate: “The Commissioner’s statement is not the European Commission’s the statement, but of the representative of one political option in the Commission, and that’s not good. I try to see the Commission as one integral, supranational body that works in some kind of ideal interest of European values and European contracts, but it isn’t so”, President Milanović stated, and asked would the state from which that commissioner comes be able to begin negotiations at all about accessing the European Union today.

Asked by a reporter how Croatia can make it easier for Macedonian nationals to come to work to the Croatian coast, President Milanović replied: “Workers may stay up to ninety days without any special conditions. We need workers for work that is important to our industry in the broader sense of the word, the hospitality industry, which doesn’t have enough workers in Croatia. We need workers who will contribute to the system as people who will pay taxes, people who will replace workers that Croatia lacks, and a worker is not only the wages he receives, but what he contributes to the employer and solidarity funds. All of that combined is part of an equation that means the survival of the nation as it is. That’s not only ninety days, we will need workers before and after those ninety days throughout Croatia”.

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia has arrived for an Official visit to the Republic of Croatia accompanied by his wife Elizabeta Gjorgievska. The wife of the Croatian President, Sanja Musić Milanović, also took part in the official welcoming ceremony.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas, Tomislav Bušljeta, Marko Beljan, Ana Marija Katić