News
9/30/2021 08:37
On the first day of his working visit to Strasbourg, on the occasion of addressing the Autumn Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov met yesterday with Jacques Mer and Liliane Tanguy, members of the French National Assembly from the ranks of President Macron's En Marche! (Forward!) movement.
The meeting took place in anticipation of the future French Presidency of the Council of the EU, with the aim of exchanging views on the revitalization of the European Union enlargement policy, with emphasis on the European perspective of North Macedonia.
Dimitrov: “A well-deserved breakthrough on the European integration path is key to strengthening EU's relations with the region, strongly reflecting the Union's geostrategic role”.
MPs Mer and Tanguy reaffirmed France's support for the start of accession talks with North Macedonia, as a valorization of the results achieved by the country, which has thus met its obligations. They expressed hope that the decision of the EU Council of March last year will be implemented in the coming period.
At the meeting with Georgios Papandreou, Member of the Greek Parliament, incumbent President of the Socialist International and former Prime Minister of Greece, the topics of discussion included the modalities of inclusive cooperation and constructive mutual relations in the region. They agreed that, with the start of accession talks with North Macedonia, the EU would revitalize at a crucial moment the confidence in the promise of a European future for the entire region made in Thessaloniki.
Papandreou will lead today's debate on the democratic challenges and European aspirations for the Western Balkans, which will follow immediately after Deputy Prime Minister Dimitrov addresses the Autumn Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
You can follow Dimitrov's address and the MPs’ questions session live, today at 11:00 am on the following link http://www.assembly.coe.int/nw/SessionVideo-EN.asp