If they tell you that you have problems fulfilling the political criteria, how can you ask for a date for start of the negotiations this year – Deputy Prime Minister Gabriela Koneska-Trajkovska commented briefly following the meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and senior representatives of the Directorate for Enlargement for Macedonia.

She stressed clearly that the Government does not expect the November report on Macedonia's progress to include a date for start of the negotiations, especially following the messages that the Macedonian Government received from Brussels and the EU delegation to Macedonia over the last few weeks.