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

Record ID: 1437471

  • 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) MACEDONIA SQUARE WITH STATUE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT STATUE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT INSCRIPTION ON MONUMENT READING (English): "MACEDONIA" VARDAR RIVER IN CENTRAL SKOPJE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER VARDAR RIVER (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) RESIDENT OF SKOPJE, STOJAN NIKOLOVSKI, SAYING: "I don't quite understand, but I think it's shameful. We should have gotten it (EU membership talks). We at least have some results, we're not at zero, people started working and I think they should have taken a step towards us." (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) RESIDENT OF SKOPJE, KIRE PETROVSKI, SAYING: "After all it has sacrificed, Macedonia certainly deserves to become a member of the European Union. Obviously, 26, 27 of them, presidents, all were in favor, only Macron opposed it. Now we don't know from where the wind will blow. May also be from Russia." (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) RESIDENT OF SKOPJE, KIRIL STOJANOVSKI, SAYING: "They want something in advance, but do not say what it is they want. And they lie, the European Union. They ask for something to be done, and now they lie, saying stop." GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, NORTH MACEDONIAN FLAGS FLYING ENTRANCE TO GOVERNMENT BUILDING, SIGN READING (Macedonian, Albanian, English): "GOVERNMENT"
  • 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: LVA001B1MKDO9
  • 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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