Macedonia could get starting date for EU entry talks by year's end

27/02/2008

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski on Tuesday that his country could get a starting date for membership talks with the Union in autumn, if it implements the required reforms.

(Makfax, Utrinski Vesnik - 27/02/08; MIA, Makfax, AP, Balkan Insight - 26/02/08)

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn (right) and Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski hold a press conference Tuesday (February 26th) after their meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels [Getty Images]

Macedonia could get a starting date for its EU membership negotiations this autumn if it fulfils the requirements, the 27-nation bloc's enlargement chief indicated on Tuesday (February 26th).

Speaking after talks with Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski in Brussels, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said he would present a list of benchmarks to officials in Skopje next week. These will cover different areas, including political dialogue, judicial reform and the fight against corruption, as well as commitments the country has already undertaken as part of its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the Union.

The European Commission will assess Macedonia's progress in implementing the required reforms in a November report.

Urging Skopje to focus on meeting the "benchmarks and key priorities" by this autumn, Rehn described that task as both "very ambitious, but also realistic".

Macedonia has been awaiting a starting date for its membership negotiations with Brussels since it gained formal recognition as an EU candidate country in December 2005.

Crvenkovski voiced confidence that his country has the "potential and opportunity" to achieve that goal "by the end of 2008", as well as to successfully complete its visa liberalisation talks with the bloc.

Macedonia also hopes to receive an invitation to join NATO at the Alliance's Bucharest summit in early April.

EU and NATO member Greece has, however, threatened to block its northern neighbour's accession to both organisations if the name dispute between the two countries is not resolved.

Greece, which has a province called Macedonia, is opposed to its neighbour's use of the same name, saying it implies possible territorial claims.

Earlier this month, UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, who is tasked with helping Athens and Skopje find a solution to their 17-year-old dispute, presented a set of possible solutions to both sides. He is to meet their representatives for new talks in New York on Friday.

While shedding no light on Macedonia's possible response to Nimetz's proposals, Crvenkovski made it clear that his country was not prepared to agree to just any solution.

Referring to Macedonian media reports, the AP on Tuesday cited two of the five alternative names suggested by Nimetz -- Democratic Republic of Macedonia and Independent Republic of Macedonia -- as seeming acceptable to Skopje.

While stressing that the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece is a bilateral issue, Rehn voiced hope that it will be resolved soon.

"The EU attaches great significance to good neighbourly relations, considering them as a rather important principle for the Euro-integration process," Macedonian news agency MIA quoted the commissioner as saying.

Another issue he and Crvenkovski discussed on Tuesday was Kosovo. Crvenkovski said Macedonia would decide when to recognise it as an independent state when "we deem it most appropriate for our interests", while following the position of the EU and NATO on the issue.