MILOSOSKI: WITHOUT GREECE'S IRRESPONSIBLE CONDUCT, MACEDONIA WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN IN THE EU
National.
If this impending and irresponsible conduct by Greece didn't take place in the past two decades, then Macedonia would have been already a member of EU, at least together with Bulgaria and Romania, noted Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki after meeting his Hungarian counterpart Péter Balázs, who is paying his first official visit to Macedonia.
The Macedonian FM announced that a new meeting with mediator Matthew Nimetz could be likely held in mid-April. - Macedonia as always is prepared to take constructive participation, he added.
When asked whether the name issue could hinder Macedonia's integration to EU and NATO and whether he had a message to convey from Greek Alternate FM Dimitris Droutsas, FM Balázs briefly responded "yes", underlying that he didn't convey messages from others. - I speak on my behalf, he noted.
Speaking about the "Europe 2014" project, the Hungarian FM referred to a joint declaration inked in Budapest by Hungary, Serbia, Greece and Croatia, aimed at accelerating the process of EU integration of Western Balkans.
- It doesn't have to mean that all W. Balkan countries will join EU by 2014, because it also depends on individual achievements. I personally wish that to happen, but in EU, its 27 members reach unanimous decisions, stated Balázs.
- If Greece really wants to promote the "Western Balkans 2014" strategy, then it should change its attitude towards Macedonia's EU integration issue and towards the youngest state in the region, whose independence is recognised by a majority of EU members - that is Kosovo, stated Milososki.
It is being talked about EU integration of the Western Balkans, the Macedonian FM stressed, and those who can make that step further are blocked. Considering last week's incident when intolerant militant extremism was promoted, I believe this is often being used by Greece's political elite - to speak one thing and to do something else.
In the declaration, amongst other things, it is highlighted that differences existing between certain countries should be decreased, not increased. There's no political sense, said Balázs, an atmosphere of competitiveness to be created between countries heading towards EU integration. They should be assisted to meet the membership criteria.
Macedonia and Hungary foster excellent relations, both politically and economically. However, there is room for their improvement, Macedonian FM Antonio Milososki and his Hungarian counterpart Péter Balázs concluded following their meeting Wednesday in Skopje. To boost the cooperation, ministers Milososki and Balázs signed a cooperation protocol between Macedonia and Hungary's ministries of foreign affairs.
Hungary, said Milososki, is able and willing to make an effort the region of Southeaster Europe to receive more attention within EU. Labeling Hungary a spokesperson of Western Balkans in EU and NATO, Balázs stated that his country advocated acceleration of region's EU integration.
[MIA]
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