We shouldn’t have to wait decades to pass to join the EU. Sometimes there is movement behind the scenes and it can be concluded from statements made by our neighbours that we’re not standing still, we’re working, which isn’t always visible, Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova has said in an interview Thursday evening.
“I must mention that when the statement of Prime Minister (Hristijan) Mickoski is quoted, it is forgotten that it was not the kind that we all repeat, but related to the “if” in relations with Bulgaria. I don’t think we need to wait decades, on the contrary, sometimes there is movement even when it’s behind the scenes. It would be in front of the public’s eyes if I were a professor, but as president, many things, due to the essence of diplomacy, do not have to happen publicly. That does not mean that they do not exist. In politics, it can be indirectly through the statements of our neighbors, and I read a lot these days, from the fact that we had a key influence on Mr. Waitz, to the fact that we informed them, that Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Mucunski has worn off his shoes going back and forth, it can be concluded that we are not standing still, we are working, but that is not always visible,” Siljanovska-Davkova told TV 21.
The Macedonian head of state says that she always had good relations and had long conversations with the former President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, although they had different views, and added that hard positions on an issue do not always remain, such as Radev’s on Macedonia joining the EU, when he will take responsibility for leading the country, if he succeeds in that.
Macedonia, the president added, not only walks shoulder to shoulder with the leading candidates for EU membership, but in certain segments is even ahead of some of them and emphasized that the accession process should be conducted based on facts and criteria, and not on, as she said, irrational demands.
She pointed out that Macedonian legislation is largely aligned with European legislation, which, according to the head of state, is an additional argument for the country’s progress in the European integration process, but she still warned that despite meeting the conditions, the process could be blocked by member states.
“Even the fastest candidates can close clusters and chapters, but tomorrow a member state can again veto and raise issues that have nothing to do with the Copenhagen criteria, but are related to history and culture,” President Siljanovska-Davkova said.
