Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki has sent a letter on Friday to his Greek counterpart Dimitris Droutsas in which he asks for Greece's support over the decision for start of Macedonia's EU accession negotiations in light of the coming meetings of the Council of the European Union and the European Council. Macedonian Minister reminds that the European Commission has reconfirmed the recommendation for the beginning of Macedonia's accession talks in the 2010 Enlargement Package, recognizing the country's achievements in the past year.
Skopje, 1 December 2010
Dear colleague,
I avail myself of this opportunity, in the light of the upcoming meetings of the EU Council and the European Council in December 2010, to ask for your support for the adoption of a decision for start of accession negotiations of the EU with the Republic of Macedonia. As you know, in the 2010 Enlargement Package the European Commission renewed its recommendation for opening of accession negotiations with my country, recognizing our achievements in the past year and reaffirming that we remain ready to face the challenges of the next stage of the accession process. My country has been qualified for start of accession negotiations for two consecutive years and has been a candidate country without opening accession talks for five full years. This situation is unsustainable both for a candidate country that will next month establish full trade association with the EU under the Stabilization and Association Agreement as well as for the credibility of the EU and its enlargement policy. Republic of Greece as the oldest member state of the European Union in our region and declared friend of the enlargement policy, through the Thessaloniki Agenda and today with the initiative Agenda 2014/2018, could significantly contribute to the revitalization of the European integration of the whole region. Your support to the adoption of a decision to start the accession negotiations with the Republic of Macedonia will create the necessary political impetus to this end. With such a step, we together will also stimulate the necessary positive climate of confidence in our mutual relations for permanently resolving the remaining bilateral difference with a sustainable solution acceptable for the both countries and peoples, in the interest of the regional and European stability and prosperity. Please accept, dear colleague, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Antonio Milošoski
His Excellency Mr. Dimitris DROUTSAS Minister for Foreign Affairs Hellenic Republic
