EP rapporteur on "misleading statements"

EP rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin cautioned on Wednesday against "misleading statements", his office said. He referred to discussing the date of entry into the EU of the Western Balkans countries, before voting took place on the three resolutions on the progress of Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey. EP rapporteur on "misleading statements" "I want to point out that EU-member states do not communicate with the countries of the Western Balkans in the best possible way. Some states manipulate with dates which are not realistic. The year of 2014, which some offer today, brings false hopes, unrealistic expectations and misleads the politics and public in these countries." "Only a realistic and fair approach from our side can strengthen the pro-European forces, while false promises are detrimental to both us and them. Let us be just, let us be fair, let us be trustworthy," Kacin was quoted as saying in his address to the European parliament.. EP rapporteur praises Skopje Also in Brussels yesterday, EP Rapporteur for Macedonia Zoran Thaler praised Skopje’s progress, stating that the invitation of the Greek government to include all the countries of the region in the EU by 2014 was good. After the EP with the vast majority of votes confirmed Thaler’s report about Macedonia’s progress in 2009, the rapporteur called upon the governments in Skopje and Athens, as well as the Spanish EU presidency, the European parliament and the European commissioners to help solve the Macedonian problems – i.e., the dispute over its constitutional name with neighboring Greece. Thaler said he was convinced that Macedonia should be assisted more on its road toward the EU. “This way we will reach a different, better Balkans than the one we have been witnesses to for the last 20 years,” he said, adding that the approach of the countries of the region to the EU is "like riding a bike": “As long as things are running everything is all right, when the drive stops, peace, stability and security in the region decline.” The EP rapporteur also added that 2009 was good for Macedonia, pointing out that it was "the first to fulfill conditions for visa liberalization, that it had solved the border issue with Kosovo and encouraged regional cooperation". Thaler noted that the Greek government’s proposal that all the countries of the region should join the EU by the 2014 was good. He called upon solidarity toward those states but also toward Greece which is facing the financial crisis.

EP rapporteur on "misleading statements"

"I want to point out that EU-member states do not communicate with the countries of the Western Balkans in the best possible way. Some states manipulate with dates which are not realistic. The year of 2014, which some offer today, brings false hopes, unrealistic expectations and misleads the politics and public in these countries."

"Only a realistic and fair approach from our side can strengthen the pro-European forces,

while false promises are detrimental to both us and them. Let us be just, let us be fair, let us be trustworthy," Kacin was quoted as saying in his address to the European parliament..

EP rapporteur praises Skopje

Also in Brussels yesterday, EP Rapporteur for Macedonia Zoran Thaler praised Skopje’s progress, stating that the invitation of the Greek government to include all the countries of the region in the EU by 2014 was good.

After the EP with the vast majority of votes confirmed Thaler’s report about Macedonia’s progress in 2009, the rapporteur called upon the governments in Skopje and Athens, as well as the Spanish EU presidency, the European parliament and the European commissioners to help solve the Macedonian problems – i.e., the dispute over its constitutional name with neighboring Greece.

Thaler said he was convinced that Macedonia should be assisted more on its road toward the EU.

“This way we will reach a different, better Balkans than the one we have been witnesses to for the last 20 years,” he said, adding that the approach of the countries of the region to the EU is "like riding a bike": “As long as things are running everything is all right, when the drive stops, peace, stability and security in the region decline.”

The EP rapporteur also added that 2009 was good for Macedonia, pointing out that it was "the first to fulfill conditions for visa liberalization, that it had solved the border issue with Kosovo and encouraged regional cooperation".

Thaler noted that the Greek government’s proposal that all the countries of the region should join the EU by the 2014 was good. He called upon solidarity toward those states but also toward Greece which is facing the financial crisis.