North Macedonia's Minister of Health Arben Taravari, who is one of the leaders of the governing coalition of Albanian parties VLEN, is optimistic that &ldquo ;very soon” North Macedonia will open the first cluster in the negotiations with the EU and all the countries of the Western Balkans will join the European Union together.
In an interview on MРT1, Taravari said that he was leaving it to the country's Prime Minister Hristian Mickoski to explain what was behind his words and that he was more optimistic after the recent Berlin Process summit. He pointed out that he is glad that Mickoski is “European-oriented and wants (Northern) Macedonia to start negotiations as soon as possible, but as prime minister he is still looking for some guarantees that the country will not have other obstacles.
"We are aware that the negotiation framework cannot be changed and (North) Macedonia needs changes in the constitution, but the state also needs some guarantee that this will be the last condition. If we continue like this, different countries can set different conditions. I think that a solution will be found that will be acceptable to (North) Macedonia, because the dispute is no longer with Bulgaria. This is a request of the EU and it is indisputable that we need to make the changes to the constitution to start the negotiations, but at the same time we also need a guarantee, at least from the centers of influence in the world, that nothing will be asked of us again. "I think the prime minister never said that we will not make changes to the constitution, he also made various proposals, such as that the changes to the constitution come into force after the country becomes a member of the EU," Taravari said.
Taravari evaluates this proposal of Hristian Mickoski as possible. In response to a question about whether Bulgaria would accept it, he stated that "everything is complicated by the fact that there is no stable government in Bulgaria.
"If there was a stable government, I am convinced that we would be somewhat closer to finding an acceptable solution and maybe we would start negotiations together with Albania," Taravari said.
When asked to what extent the government's behavior in Skopje buys time to cushion the blow from the fact that Albania has already started negotiations, Taravari replied that "there are chances that negotiations with the EU will run in parallel, although Albania is a step ahead of North Macedonia." ;.
„It is not good that we separated, but it is good that Albania started the negotiations (with the EU). However, I don't think it's about buying time. We are looking for the moment, we need some kind of guarantee for the state and to start the negotiations. I hope that the negotiations with Albania will continue in parallel, I am very optimistic about that and I still think that all the countries of the Western Balkans will join the EU at the same time," Taravari said.
Before the elections, VLEN stated that they were giving a period of six months to advance the negotiation process with the EU.
In response to a question related to this deadline, Taravari indicated that it expired in December and was needed "to adapt and synchronize the government" and as a period in which to see "what is the situation in the neighboring countries and more specifically in Bulgaria".
„There are elections coming up in Bulgaria and we should possibly expect a stable government, although I am a skeptic. After that, however, we need to have a plan of action and know what will be done. I am optimistic that we will start the negotiation procedure with the EU", said Taravari, according to whom "it is not good for VLEN to go to local elections (in the autumn of next year - note) without a decision on the European path of ( North) Macedonia”.