It takes vision and leadership to shift the status quo situation in Macedonia and help open membership negotiations considering that through our case positive changes can be expected for the entire region, said Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov in Budapest Tuesday. He assessed his visit to Hungary as very successful, Dnevnik reports.

The talks with EC President Jose Manuel Barroso in Ohrid and the President and Prime Minister of Hungary, Pal Schmitt and Viktor Orban, according to Ivanov, inspire hope that Macedonia’s situation as regards the EU positions would change.

“Hungary, which currently holds the chairmanship of the EU, is going to raise the issue of setting Macedonia a date for commencing membership negotiations at all meetings at which enlargement will be discussed. This was stressed by the Hungarian officials and we have also been promised that the issue will also be raised at the coming meeting of the European Council,” President Ivanov said.

According to him, considering that Macedonia has met all conditions, the Copenhagen criteria and the responsibilities noted as remarks in the reports of the European Commission and it is carrying out the reforms, the country deserves that.

“It is high time Macedonia was allowed to make a step ahead in its European integration and an end was put to this status quo situation by setting a date for opening accession talks, because as a candidate member state we meet the conditions required of us in this process. That is going to be a positive signal not only for us but also for the entire region,” Ivanov added in the joint statement with Hungarian President Pal Schmitt.

Ivanov met also László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, whom he thanked for the unambiguous support that Macedonia receives from Hungary in the effort for faster EU integration. The meeting at the Parliament took place simultaneously with the process of adopting Hungary’s new Constitution.