Verklaring Van Rompuy na ontmoeting met Macedonische premier Nikola Gruevski (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Raad van de Europese Unie (Raad) i, gepubliceerd op dinsdag 6 december 2011.

Today, I exchanged views with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski on the challenges facing the European Union and those facing the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with a view to the European Council meeting on 9 December 2011.

The EU welcomes and fully appreciates the domestic reforms which have taken place in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. I encouraged the new Government to take further steps in the reform of the judiciary and public administration, in the fight against corruption, and in the media.

I also encouraged Prime Minister Gruevski to continue to seek a mutually acceptable solution with Greece on the name issue and expressed the hope that the judgment of the International Court of Justice would give further impetus to such efforts.

Lastly, I noted with satisfaction that the European perspective enjoys strong popular support in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, reflecting the country’s aspirations to realise its European potential. I am confident that success is achievable, once the remaining issues have been resolved. The European Union remains committed to a European perspective for the whole Western Balkans region.