"I cannot predict a date, but I hope and expect that a candidate status for Macedonia in the EU will come soon, maybe later this fall, in November or December," Slovenian Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman Dimitrij Rupel said Wednesday. With these words he inspired Macedonia's hopes that toward the end of this year the European Commission would express a positive position regarding our candidature for the EU, "Utrinski Vesnik" writes. During his official visit to Macedonia, Rupel met with Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski too.

In the joint statements with Mitreva, Rupel spoke about the reform processes in Macedonia, especially about the changes in the electoral legislation, which he assessed positively. He also spoke about the implementation of the strategy for proportionate representation of the minorities in the administration, which he said should be implemented as soon as possible. Rupel stressed, "The Ohrid agreement is still being implemented. This agreement can serve as a good example for the other countries and it can serve as a model for multicultural and multiethnic coexistence".