Rehn: Skopje must try harder

Olli Rehn says that Macedonia has to invest significant efforts in order to be allowed to start membership talks with the EU. Following talks with Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Bochevski, the EU enlargement commissioner told a press conference in Brussels that Macedonia had made certain progress towards meeting the eight Copenhagen criteria that have to be fulfilled before membership talks can start. Rehn: Skopje must try harder The criteria, first and foremost, pertain to strengthening democracy, adopting a law on the police, tackling corruption, judicial and administrative reform, as well as reform of the business environment and work market. “These are essential conditions for creating a truly European society,” said Rehn. He also pointed to the “ninth criterium”—holding free elections. “Sadly, all the elections we’ve had have had shortcomings,” he lamented. Macedonia received EU candidate status in 2005, but Brussels has still to set a date for opening talks. In March the European Commission announced that it was planning to recommend opening talks in the country’s next EU integration progress report due out in November. In Skopje, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said that Macedonia was committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution in the “name” dispute with Greece. Gruevski told Macedonian-language Voice of America that Skopje was not focusing on whether that would be “in September or October”. “For us, that is a great and historic issue and it’s important that it’s resolved in a good way, which for us means an acceptable way, not because the UN General Assembly session is in September or because something's happening in October,” said the prime minister. Gruevski, who is attending the U.S. Republican Party convention in St.Paul, said that Macedonia and the U.S. had a strategic partnership, adding that one could tell from the U.S.’s foreign policy that “they don’t change strategic partnerships overnight.” On September 11, a new round of talks is due to take place between Macedonian and Greek negotiators, mediated by UN envoy Mathew Nimetz, who will present a new proposal for the country’s name. Greek daily Elefterostipos states that there are two options: either Nimetz will table a new proposal or direct talks will be scheduled between the two countries’ foreign ministers who will review the packet of ideas put forward thus far by the UN mediator. Olli Rehn (Tanjug, archive)

Rehn: Skopje must try harder

The criteria, first and foremost, pertain to strengthening democracy, adopting a law on the police, tackling corruption, judicial and administrative reform, as well as reform of the business environment and work market.

“These are essential conditions for creating a truly European society,” said Rehn. He also pointed to the “ninth criterium”—holding free elections. “Sadly, all the elections we’ve had have had shortcomings,” he lamented.

Macedonia received EU candidate status in 2005, but Brussels has still to set a date for opening talks.

In March the European Commission announced that it was planning to recommend opening talks in the country’s next EU integration progress report due out in November.

In Skopje, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said that Macedonia was committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution in the “name” dispute with Greece.

Gruevski told Macedonian-language Voice of America that Skopje was not focusing on whether that would be “in September or October”.

“For us, that is a great and historic issue and it’s important that it’s resolved in a good way, which for us means an acceptable way, not because the UN General Assembly session is in September or because something's happening in October,” said the prime minister.

Gruevski, who is attending the U.S. Republican Party convention in St.Paul, said that Macedonia and the U.S. had a strategic partnership, adding that one could tell from the U.S.’s foreign policy that “they don’t change strategic partnerships overnight.”

On September 11, a new round of talks is due to take place between Macedonian and Greek negotiators, mediated by UN envoy Mathew Nimetz, who will present a new proposal for the country’s name.

Greek daily Elefterostipos states that there are two options: either Nimetz will table a new proposal or direct talks will be scheduled between the two countries’ foreign ministers who will review the packet of ideas put forward thus far by the UN mediator.