Macedonia

Belgium’s caretaker prime minister Yves Leterme told EU lawmakers Wednesday that Brussels would try to secure a deal to ensure a start of Macedonia’s EU accession talks. “As regards the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the presidency will try to secure an agreement for launch of membership talks,” Leterme said …

Macedonia’s Minister of Defense Zoran Konjanovski and Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki pointed out that Macedonia holds intensive name talks with Greece. They made the remarks at the meeting with NATO Secretary General Andres Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels.

The Belgian EU presidency is willing to help facilitate an agreement between Macedonia and Greece on the name dispute in order to make the start of accession talks between Skopje and Brussels possible.

The Skopje branch of the Islamic Religious Community, IVZ, in Macedonia has warned that radical Islamist groups following Wahhabi teachings are trying to take control of the central mosques in Skopje. Skopje Mufti Ibrahim Shabani, who is the head of the IVZ branch in the capital, made the remarks after …

Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas represented Greece as an advocate for the Western Balkans EU integration, and pointed out that solving name dispute is the main condition for Macedonia’s EU integration, Greek ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Macedonia must boost reforms in several areas if it hopes not to spoil last year’s positive report from the European Commission that contained a recommendation for the start of its EU accession talks. This is what EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele conveyed on Tuesday in Brussels to his guest, Macedonia’s …

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski rejected on Monday (June 28th) opposition calls for early elections, while acknowledging that each party has the legitimate right to seek a snap vote. As for the name row with Greece, Gruevski said there are no indications that UN mediator Matthew Nimetz will

Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milsoski is set to meet EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule in Brussels on Tuesday. Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that their meeting will focus on fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria for membership ahead of the

We would like to see Macedonia in NATO, but we are not sure whether that will happen by November summit, as the summit won’t address NATO enlargement, US Ambassador to Macedonia Philip Reeker said, when asked about the framework for solving name issue by November.

MEP Joseph Daul, who visited Macedonia on Tuesday, expressed his support for solving name row between Skopje and Athens and called it a controversial issue. He said that that the two countries should find a solution within the framework of UN-led negotiations.