Macedonia

Leaders of the main Macedonian parties have agreed on several key issues regarding the adoption of reforms needed for the start of EU accession talks. Meeting late on Friday, the party leaders attuned their positions concerning a law mandating parliamentary reforms and on changes to the law on financing political …

BUCHAREST, Romania An earthquake registering 4.4 on the Richter scale shook the region of Vrancea in eastern Romania late on Friday (July 24th). It was also felt in Bucharest.Meanwhile, several minor earthquakes, with a magnitude of about 4.0 were registered in Macedonia’s region of Valandovo on Friday and Saturday.

SKOPJE, Macedonia EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn visited Skopje on Thursday (July 23rd) to discuss the country’s accession bid. He noted Macedonia has two months to meet remaining benchmarks before the next European Commission (EC) progress report is drafted. Based on that document, due in October, Macedonia could receive an …

HE HAGUE, The Netherlands The UN war crimes tribunal has turned down a request for the temporary release of former Macedonian security official Johan Tarculovski, who asked to visit his family, media reported on Thursday (July 23rd). Along with his request, Tarculovski submitted guarantees from the Macedonian government that he …

Facing a tight EU reform schedule, Macedonia’s prime minister will seek consensus on speeding the neccessary changes in a meeting with political party leaders on Friday. Hoping to promote the rapid passage of related legislation, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has summoned the head of the opposition, Social Democrat’s leader Branko …

According to the latest survey done by the US-based International Republican Institute, IRI, Macedonian citizens, on average, give their country 6.2 years to enter the European Union. Therefore, they expect Macedonia to enter the EU sometime in 2015.Public support for Macedonia’s NATO entrance remains high at around 93 percent, the …

Macedonia will present evidence against neighbouring Greece to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, ICJ, on Monday.At the end of last year, the country submitted a complaint against Greece for breaching a 1995 UN-brokered Interim Accord on the “name” row. The prolonged row escalated when Athens, a veteran …

There is no need to make urgent and hasty decisions although Macedonia will probably have to make one more budget cut by year’s end, the new finance minister said Sunday. “Our preliminary analyses indicate that there will be a need for a re-balance in the third quarter of 2009. However, …

Wednesday’s decision by the European Commission to recommend scrapping of EU visas for Macedonian citizens represents a genuine victory for the country and its people, the country’s prime minister said. In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski Wednesday afternoon heartily welcomed the lifting of the visa regime …

Macedonia will soon wrap up its judiciary reforms to ensure a recommendation to begin EU accession talks, senior Macedonian officials said Wednesday. At a joint press conference, Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister in Charge of European AffairsVasko Naumovski and Justice Minister Mihajlo Manevski vowed to speed up reforms.