Irish Ambassador: We Support North Macedonia, but Prioritize Negotiations with Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova

During the presentation of the Irish EU presidency agenda, Ambassador Brendan Ward dedicated only a few brief remarks to enlargement. He confirmed the commitment to an accelerated integration of the Western Balkan states, but regarding North Macedonia he simply stated that it enjoys unwavering support.

“Our priority is to finalize membership talks with Montenegro and we aim to make substantial progress in the dialogue with Albania, Ukraine and Moldova. Naturally, we also strongly stand behind North Macedonia and its path towards the European Union. In cooperation with European partners and the institutions here in Skopje, we will examine opportunities to advance this process,” declared the Irish Ambassador, Brendan Ward.

Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Viktorija Trajkov, described as encouraging the fact that the region’s integration continues to hold a priority place on the Union’s agenda. “Our executive is fully committed to the European path. Our approach leaves no room for dilemmas: membership is not a formal commitment, but a journey that requires measurable results, institutional accountability and continuous fulfillment of the commitments undertaken,” emphasized Trajkov.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Antonio Milloshoski, pointed out the fundamental importance of the EU’s competitiveness for the country and the entire region. “For us it is vital that the integration of the Western Balkan states into the common European market proceeds at a rapid pace. We believe that a deeper involvement of the region will give additional weight to the Union’s competitiveness and will strengthen the economic and trade potential of the continent,” added Milloshoski.

In parallel, four intergovernmental conferences were held yesterday in Brussels for the opening or advancement of chapters with Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova. EU Ambassador Rokas expressed hope that North Macedonia will also be included in this wave soon, officially starting its membership negotiations.