Macedonia

People celebrated on the streets of Skopje as news came through Wednesday that the European Commission, EC, had recommended that Macedonia begin EU accession talks. Some paraded in cars through the streets of the capital honking and waving the Macedonian and EU flags. Others gathered in front of the government …

Macedonian Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski and his Spanish counterpart Carme Chacon Piqueras signed today in Skopje a Memorandum for cooperation in the defense field. The memorandum affirms the commitment for mutual understanding, information exchange and increasing of volume of bilateral cooperation between the two ministries.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is participating actively in regional cooperation and further developing its bilateral relations with its neighbours. However, the name issue continues to affect relations with Greece, reads the European Commission’s 2009 progress report on the country, published Wednesday. The document stresses that relations with Greece …

EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn says the European Commission, EC, has recommended that Macedonia start its EU accession negotiations. The move marks the country’s first major step towards integration in the bloc since it was granted the status of an EU candidate state in 2005. However, the report has not …

On Tuesday, the Macedonian parliament will debate an opposition motion of no confidence in Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska and Transport Minister Mile Janakieski. The motion was filed by the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, SDSM, which is seeking to hold the two ministers responsible for the September 6 tour …

A meeting between new Greek Premier George Papandreou and Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki may signal a thaw in relations. The two officials met briefly on Friday afternoon on the sidelines of an informal meeting of the Southeast European Cooperation Process in Istanbul. “I [hope] we have better cooperation in …

We hope EC report on Macedonia progress will be a real assessment of the progress and achievements of the country, said Macedonian foreign minister in Istanbul on Friday. Milosovski expressed in his statement during the informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process his hope the …

The former US Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger hopes Macedonian-Greek relations to improve after power change in Greece. Pointing he is not expert on Greek policy, Eagleburger expressed his hope that probably the new Greek government would accept the name not to stand in Macedonia’s way to NATO and EU. 

Macedonian Parliamentary Delegation will participate in OSCE meetings set to be held from 9 to 11 October in Greece. Head of Delegation Parliamentarian Andrej Petrov (SDSM) will be accompanied by Vladimir Gjorcev (VMRO-DPMNE) and Hisen Dzemaili (DUI).

Laws in Macedonia are not democratic enough, Bulgaria’s Minister of Bulgarian residents abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, said to journalists, commenting on the Spaska Mitrova case.