Disappointed North Macedonians must face new reality with clear head, president says

Record ID: 1437470

  • Title: Disappointed North Macedonians must face new reality with clear head, president says
  • Date: 18th October 2019
  • Summary: SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2019 14:03
  • Keywords: North Macedonia Skopje EU EU accession talks President Stevo Pendarovski Balkans
  • Location: SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
  • City: SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
  • Country: Macedonia
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003B1MKDO9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: North Macedonia "must face the new reality with a clear head" President Stevo Pendarovski said on Friday (October 18) as he addressed the disappointment felt by the nation after France blocked the country along with Albania from EU accession talks.
    People felt let down according to Skopje resident Kire Petrovski who told Reuters that "after all it has sacrificed, Macedonia certainly deserves to become a member of the European Union."
    "Now we don't know from where the wind will blow. May also be from Russia," he added.
    In order to start the accession talks, North Macedonia changed its name earlier this year following a decades long dispute with Greece over the issue, provoking angry reaction from Russian-backed nationalist forces and opposition supporters.
    "Regardless of the conclusions of the European Union's Council, we must continue implementing the agreements we reached with our neighbours, Bulgaria and Greece," president Pendarovski said.
    At EU summit in Brussels on Friday, France was the only EU member to not agree to the talks, despite overall agreement that North Macedonia has met EU targets for a host of reforms and ending disputes with its neighbours. All member states have to agree before approval is given for accession talks.
    (Production: Boki Babic, Suzana Sabljic, Dominik Starosz)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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