Friday, July 14, 2006

European Parliament's Pack satisfied with course of Macedonia elections

Text of report in English by Macedonian state news agency MIA

Skopje, 12 July: In an interview with radio Deutsche Welle - Programme in Macedonian Language, Head of the European Parliament delegation for Southeast Europe relations, Doris Pack expressed satisfaction from the course of the parliamentary elections in Macedonia.

I am satisfied from the development of the parliamentary elections in Macedonia. We feared that clashes among Albanians that started before the election campaign would continue. However, this was not confirmed, which is good and I hope that it is a signal that the situation among Albanians will be brought into order in the future, Pack states.

She does not expect any problems in the cooperation between the new Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and parties of Albanians in the government.

I believe that VMRO-DPMNE [Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity] worked well in its prior government with the party of Arben Xhaferi. I remember that the first activities that gave the chance to Albanians to feel as equal citizens began at that time, which would have continued if not for the intrusion from Kosovo and the fierce attacks. We have had the Ohrid Agreement in the meantime, which resulted in the end of the conflict, and I am certain that VMRO-DPMNE will continue to work on those foundations, Pack stresses.

According to her, all five Balkan states will not become part of EU together, but each country would be assessed individually according to its own achievements.

We have always said that each country will access according to its own achievements. One country cannot hold another hostage and block its integration in the European Union just because it is inconsistent, Doris Pack says in the interview with the Macedonian programme of radio Deutsche Welle.

Source: MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1604 gmt 12 Jul 06

No comments: