Chollet supports constitutional changes in northern Macedonia: What do they mean?

U.S. State Department senior adviser (DASH), Derek Chollet, during his visit to Skopje has confirmed the strategic partnership with North Macedonia “, while stressing also the need for fighting organised crime and corruption, considered concerned because of the size it has taken in particular in the justice system.

That is what Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said after the meeting he held with the senior American official in Skopje on January 11th.

Kovachevski said that at this meeting it has been found that for northern Macedonia there are no alternatives other than integration into the European Union.

European integration and the need to continue with reforms, but the decisions that should be made during 2023, such as constitutional changes, were the focus of our meeting. We have US support for constitutional changes that will enable the continuation of European integration. Northern Macedonia has no alternative but the EU, just as there is no alternative except NATO when it adopted difficult but necessary decisions to become part of the” alliance, the Macedonian prime minister said.

Last year, Skopje began talks on EU membership, but key talks on chapters will not begin without the change of the Macedonian Constitution for the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in it.

This is envisioned with the agreement with Bulgaria, based on the French proposal for resolving disputes between the two countries regarding historical issues, language and Macedonian identity.

Kovachevski said that with UN senior adviser Derek Chollet, they have also talked about the energy crisis and facing it during 2022 and plans for 2023, as in this area, according to Kovacevski, Skopje has received strong support from Washington.

The visits American officials have conducted in northern Macedonia over the past few months have had the focus on fighting organised crime and corruption.
US Ambassador to Skopje Angela Aggeler, on January 9th, announced that for Washington, this issue will take priority, along with energy and economic issues.