Friday, 27 October 2017, Budapest
Address of the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Talat Xhaferi at the 8th Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the Countries of the Western Balkans “EU Integration: Results And Aspirations”
Distinguished Mr. Laszlo Kover, President of the Hungarian National Assembly,
Distinguished colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
This is the Eight Conference of Presidents of Parliament from our Region, the Western Balkan, organized by the Hungarian National Assembly and these meetings become a tradition which I am confident will continue. I want to seize this opportunity and to express appreciation to our host, the distinguished colleague, Laszlo Kover, as well as to the Hungarian National Assembly for the demonstrated continuity in their international activities, in other words, the parliamentary diplomacy for the Western Balkan States. Certainly, this is a sign of principle foreign policy of Hungary towards the Western Balkan Sates and their integration in EU. This is a policy based on the determination of open doors and the enlargement of the European family. In this manner, Hungary openly manifests the essential principle Europe is founded on, the principle of solidarity.
Dear colleagues,
In Europe, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, many changes have happened. New states were established, the old single party, authoritative system was substituted with parliamentary democracy and all states from this side of the Iron Curtain stood for the membership in the European Union. In other words, the idea of the fathers of United Europe, Shuman, Churchill, Monnet and others promptly “conquered” the Central and South Eastern Europe. In regard with the states from our region, even though we went through a turbulent and tragic period, I believe that we have learned the historic lesson and we are all determined to full fledged membership in EU. In the same time, aware that achieving this goal, requires fulfillment of all obligations, in modern language, homework for us, our citizens and in the same time , through the bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the neighbors we contribute in strengthening the peace and stability, as well as the European perspective of Western Balkan.
The Republic of Macedonia that was the first to sign the Agreement on Stabilization and Association is a candidate state for membership in EU since 2005, but because of the well known reasons for all attendees, we have not yet opened the accession negotiations, even though we have received 8 recommendations for opening accession negotiations from the European Commission. The Republic of Macedonia for almost 2 years has been in a semi – latent political crisis and our approach to the European Union was sincerely speaking, hibernating. Here I refer to the implementation of the internal reforms and the dynamics of dispute resolution. The open issue with our Southern neighbor, as emotional as it is for our citizens, is on the path of the achievement of our strategic goals and a solution acceptable for the both sides must be found as soon as possible. Today, without false modesty, I inform you that the current newly elected government, the new parliamentary composition, as well as all state institutions seriously work in direction of regaining the firm steps on the path of the overall integration of EU and NATO. The most important for us in this process is that the policies are widely supported by the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia and this was confirmed in the most recent local elections. Internally, the Government adopted a special plan, so called Plan 3 – 6 – 9 that clearly outlines the tasks that should be fulfilled as well as the dynamics for implementation.
The Assembly in this composition, as well as I, as President of the Assembly, have set several clear rules and parameters in direction of opening the negotiations with Brussels. We are determined to work in direction of accomplishing an overall transparency in the work of the Assembly. Furthermore, we work on serious strengthening of the oversight role of the Assembly over the executive governance. Also, our determination is to establish a true cooperation with the NGO Sector and the expert public in the process of adoption of laws and implementation of the needed reforms. I believe that this is the true manner for implementation of essential reforms, which will bring us closer to the citizens and will benefit them. In the foreign affairs area, I would like to underline two points. Recently, we have ratified the Inter – State Agreement on Friendship, Good Neighborly Relations and Cooperation with Bulgaria. This agreement, is not only surpassing some historical antagonism, but also opens possibilities for building more intensive relations in all areas, politics, security, economy, culture and so on. This is all based on the principles that characterize the relations among the states within EU. Also, the affairs with our Southern neighbor Greece are moving in positive direction, considering that only within few months there were two meetings of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the two states, the former in Athens, the later in Skopje. This speaks that the foundations for building mutual trust have been set. Sincerely we expect the United Nations, through the mediator Nimitz, as well as Brussels and its institutions to have a more active role. We have established highly developed relations with the other states from the region, including not only good bilateral relations in all areas, but also contribution to the peace and stability of the whole region and its European perspective.
Distinguished colleagues,
We follow the events in Europe very seriously. Nevertheless, regardless of the events in Europe, the citizens of Macedonia, regardless of their political, ethnic and religious determination believe in the idea of Shuman, Churchill, Monnet, Adenauer and other European politicians who created and develop the European Union. Also, I believe that the public opinion in the other states of the region is pro – European. Certainly, for us, as politicians this is an encouragement and an obligation to finish the homework in all areas. This means overall functioning of the legal state and the rule of law, proper respect and exercise of the individual and collective human rights and freedoms, overall functioning of the parliamentary democracy, as well as functioning of the market rules. On the other hand, we expect the European Union to continue the open doors policy, not only declaratively, but through its mechanisms, which will intensify the integration processes. I believe that Hungary is a good example of implementation of the above mentioned in practice. Namely, the integration of the Western Balkan states is certainly our strategic determination and benefits the citizens, but in the same time the European Union without the Western Balkan will not be what the fathers of united Europe spoke of, in other words, the sum parts that make up the whole.
Thank you.