Rokas: North Macedonia has proved to be a reliable EU partner

North Macedonia has proved to be a reliable partner of the European Union and shares its strategic priorities, EU Ambassador to the country Michalis Rokas said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.

According to Rokas, the country has achieved a considerable degree of alignment with the EU acquis and remains among the best-prepared candidates for membership.

At today’s press conference, held to discuss the European Commission’s progress report on North Macedonia, the ambassador also addressed media freedom. He said further progress was needed in this area, where work remains to be done. According to Rokas, the country should review its legal framework for the media to bring it into line with EU legislation and standards, particularly through rules that guarantee full transparency of media ownership.

His remarks came in response to a journalist’s question alleging that, for the second year in a row, Brussels had failed to notice that media outlets, national television stations and journalists reportedly face direct threats from LSDM. According to the journalist, this is creating a general sense of insecurity, including the possibility of threats of violence against journalists working for those outlets.