Sunday, December 10, 2006

Macedonia and EU to discuss SAA in Brussels

Liberalization of the telecommunication market, reducing state intervention in the business sector and the piracy will be the topics of discussions at the meeting between Macedonian and EU high officials, slated for Monday.

This marks the third meeting of the Council for Stabilization and Association to be held in Brussels, and the activities relating abovementioned areas stand as key requirements set by EU.

Macedonian progress in implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement and the pre-accession strategy as a country-candidate for fully-fledged membership in EU will be reviewed at today's meeting, Macedonian Foreign Ministry announced at a press briefing.

The EU delegation, led by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and European Issues, Paula Lehtomaki, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn are expected to reiterate the remarks included in the latest EC report on Macedonia, and on the need of efficient implementation of the Agreement in the part of intellectual and industrial property.

Macedonian delegation, led by the Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski, will present the steps planned by the Macedonian Government aimed at overcoming the problems in the telecommunication sector, market economy, intellectual and industrial property, particularly those referring to piracy and counterfeited world brands.

Special emphasis will be put to meeting the political and economic criteria as well as to the harmonization of the national with the European legislation.

Brussels and Skopje will also exchange opinions on EU's institutional reforms and the ongoing debate on the bloc's enlargement.

Vice-Prime Minister Imer Selmani and Zoran Stavrevski, and State Secretaries with Justice, Foreign Ministry and of the Secretariat for European Issues will also be included in the Macedonian delegation.

Foreign Minister Miloshoski is scheduled to meet with the NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer on Monday.

No comments: