President Ivanov: Athens Can Slow Down but Cannot Hinder Macedonia's Connection to Europe

We are aware of the scale of damages and the consequences of Macedonia's blockade on the road to EU and NATO. The blockades are causing frustrations in Macedonian society, instability in political life and tensions in the inter-ethnic relations, said President Gjorge Ivanov in his annual address at the Parliament.

The future of Macedonia belongs to NATO and the European Union, said the Chief of State, adding that unfortunately, since 2005, the country remained candidate for EU membership, as the European Council has not managed to find a way to launch membership negotiations.

"We can see and feel the consequences. And precisely these consequences from the blockades are now stated as a reason for the inability to start the negotiations on EU accession. It is not difficult to reach a conclusion. We are now in fact blocked because of the consequences from the imposed blockade," Ivanov highlighted.

The Macedonian President stressed that the double standards we are faced with, cannot triumph over the truth, and reminded that throughout history, Macedonia has been through many difficult times.

"We have been denied, erased and ignored. We have been assimilated, divided and deported. But, despite everything, we are still standing. As 70 years ago with ASNOM, we managed to establish our own country, today we are convinced we would become a member of the European Union and NATO. Because we build Macedonia inside ourselves, from ourselves, for ourselves, so that we and the future generations could live in peace and well being," President Ivanov stated.

He noted that Athens can slow down Macedonia's EU accession, but it cannot prevent the establishment of connection with Europe, it can no longer prevent Macedonian citizens from travelling across Europe, or Macedonian companies to trade with Europe.

"Official Athens can slow down Macedonia's road to Brussels, but it cannot prevent us from having European values, standards and criteria. And those precisely are the aim of our European road, to bring Europe to Macedonia. Our obligation is to implement the reforms, to reach the standards and the principles, to provide the human rights and the right to human dignity, for the good of the citizens of Macedonia," Ivanov emphasized.

Ivanov expressed support for the held joint sessions of the governments of the countries from the region, adding that in that direction, he has intensified the meetings with the current and former presidents of the region.

"I hope that with the future president of our southern neighbor, we will amend what has been omitted in the past two decades. It is about time to see what we have missed and what we have lost forever, and what we could gain if we surpass this barrier in our relations. It would be in the benefit of the citizens in both countries, for the Macedonian and for the Greek people, but also for the wider region as a whole, Ivanov underscored.

In terms of the country's foreign policy, the president underlined that Macedonia continues to be guided by the principle of openness to everyone, which is "not only declarative, but concrete", and called on the Macedonian diplomacy to be maximally active and open.

"Since the first day of my second term, I have continued with the same intensity. In only seven months, I have had 10 visits to foreign countries and over 40 meetings and discussions with some of the most influential statesmen in the world on essential matters regarding Macedonia," Ivanov said, pointing out that the country's goal, was to build solid relations with all the countries of good intentions in the world, and that we should have the best possible relations with our neighboring countries.