Hahn in Skopje: Albanian language, not EU priority

The Law on Language, Johannes Hahn, considers an extremely reasonable requirement, but the European Enlargement Commissioner made it clear in Skopje that it is not part of Brussels' priorities in their requests to Macedonia for the country's advancement towards the European Union.

At the joint press conference with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, the top European official made it clear that Macedonian authorities must now determine the priority spheres, which are estimated to gain positive assessments from Brussels.

The important thing for Hahn is for the government to focus on the laws and criteria needed to ensure a positive recommendation.

If the language issue can be resolved in such conditions, then all right, the commissioner clarified. But if priorities should be set, this should be done according to national interests”.

Hahn starts today in the Macedonian capital the new “campaign we believe in you, we invest in you, the EU for you”, which concerns three support sectors: employment, education and social inclusion, financed by “IPA”, operating program for human resources 2007-2013.

The commissioner for Enlargement arrived in Skopje just days after he hosted Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Bujar Osmani and Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov to Brussels.

Zaev's government hopes that with the European Union's leadership taken by Bulgaria in January 2018, Macedonia will be able to open the process of EU membership talks. / TCH/