Let me be clear in saying that Germany sees the European perspective of countries in the region very seriously. This goes especially for North Macedonia, a country that met EU accession criteria a long time ago, and that is why we invested lots of effort to hold the intergovernmental conference during our presidency last fall. This did not materialize but we are also working on this during the current Portuguese presidency. This makes sense but it is also necessary, considering the trust that the people of North Macedonia have in us. Moreover, it is in EU’s interest to open this accession conference as soon as possible, said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday.
FM Maas held a joint press conference with visiting counterpart Bujar Osmani.
“North Macedonia is continuing with the reforms and this is a clear signal to the European Union how serious you are in their implementation, especially with regards to the rule of law. This is good news and a clear signal that we are moving toward the common objective and Germany is on your side,” stressed Maas.
