Greece should demonstrate solidarity with Macedonia in Luxembourg today like the solidarity Athens received from the EU in dealing with its financial crisis and the EU member states should demonstrate resolve and responsibility and set Macedonia a date for opening accession talks, says the letter of ten MEPs sent to the Council of Ministers of the EU, the foreign ministers of the EU member states and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.

Before the Monday summit in Luxembourg where it is uncertain whether Macedonia is on the agenda for debate, the signatories of the letter headed by Zoran Thaler, Slovenian MEP and rapporteur on Macedonia, appeal for setting Macedonia a date for talks, because another delay of the decision is going to send a negative political signal and represent a threat to the stability of the Balkan region and will also seriously undermine the credibility of the European foreign policy toward the Western Balkans, Nova Makedonija reports.

In their view, if Greece decides not to block the start of membership negotiations with Macedonia at the June summit in Luxembourg it will reinforce its role in the Balkans. The Euro-parliamentarians say in their letter that the continuation of the process of Euro-integration of Macedonia is going to bring investors and prosperity not only to Macedonia but also to the neighboring countries.

“It will guarantee stability, peace and security in the Western Balkans and there will be a positive effect for the whole Union. Our member state Greece will undoubtedly solidify its role in the Balkan region by supporting the start of the accession talks of its northern neighbor,” the letter says.

In a time when bilateral blocks obstruct the process of European integration and at a moment when great solidarity is demonstrated concerning its financial crisis, we believe the government in Athens will take this as a very strong encouragement to respond in the spirit of solidarity with the other EU member states at the June summit, the letter says.

It is uncertain whether in Luxembourg on Monday a decision like the one in December is taken to leave the issue of the Macedonian date for starting accession talks to the next 6-month EU presidency. When preparing the agenda for the Monday summit, the ambassadors of the EU member states did not mention Macedonia. However, some ambassadors expect the issue of Macedonia to be raised by High Representative Catherine Ashton.

The Republic of Macedonia is not going to give up its defined strategic commitment of integration into the EU and NATO after the coming summit of the EU in Luxembourg.

“We have a direction and we are not going to renounce anything we have defined as a strategic commitment of the Republic of Macedonia,” said Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.