Commissioner Š.Füle met Prime Minister N. Gruevski
Brussels (24 October) - Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle met the Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski in Brussels today.
They exchanged views on the findings of the recent Progress Report and looked back on the close co-operation over the past five years, and efforts that have been made to bring the country closer to the EU, including through the High Level Accession Dialogue.
Discussing the current challenges Commissioner Füle highlighted the concerns raised in the Progress Report and the current impasse in the accession process. He stressed the need for decisive action to be taken to address concerns about increased politicisation, freedom of expression and judicial independence.
Regarding the domestic political situation in the country Commissioner Füle reiterated that it is the responsibility of both the government and opposition to ensure that political debate takes place primarily in parliament and to contribute to creating conditions for its proper functioning.
Commissioner Füle and Prime Minister Gruevski also discussed good neighbourly relations.
Commissioner Füle repeated the commitment of the European Commission to assist the country in addressing the necessary reforms related to the EU integration.