Presenting the priorities of Denmark’s presidency to the National Council for European Integration in the Sobranie, the Danish ambassador to North Macedonia, based in Belgrade, H.E. Pernille Dahler Kardel, stated that the most important message is that the prospect of enlargement is greater now than it has been in a long time, and that Denmark would like to see North Macedonia as part of the next group of countries to join the EU.
"You know what needs to be done, and we are here to help and support you in achieving that," emphasized the Danish ambassador, according to MIA.
She stressed the importance of seizing the opportunity, noting that while nothing can be guaranteed, it is significant that the possibility of enlargement exists.
“We are aware of the challenges, but it is more important to work together than to be left on the sidelines, to ensure that this beautiful country joins the EU in the next enlargement round,” said the Danish ambassador.
She acknowledged that there had been enlargement fatigue and that Denmark had once been skeptical about the process. But, she said, that has changed, and she conveyed the message that now is the time for unity and that enlargement is a top priority of Denmark’s presidency.
The Minister for European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani, emphasized that in a time of global upheaval, Europe needs stability and a clear commitment to European values, and that the continuation of the enlargement process is a political necessity.
“The Copenhagen criteria must once again be the benchmark for progress. Not bilateral conditions, but institutional capacity, the rule of law, and democratic legitimacy,” said Murtezani, adding that North Macedonia has long since embraced the European value system as its own, often at a high political cost.
The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs, Antonio Milošoski, noted that Denmark’s Minister for Europe had clearly stated that Denmark’s position on enlargement before Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was far more reserved.
“After the aggression against Ukraine, the stance of the Danish government has become more positive. We hope that this shift is not solely due to Ukraine, but also applies to the entire region and all the countries that have been working hard for years as EU candidates. In the new global order, the EU cannot be a credible actor in the world if it fails in its own backyard. The Western Balkans is the EU’s natural backyard, where the Union has so far failed to establish itself as a credible actor capable of steering membership processes toward tangible results. Instead, for decades we have heard the same phrases that ‘the moment is now’, something we’ve been hearing since Javier Solana more than 20 years ago,” said Milošoski.
Even today, he added, we are once again hearing that “the moment is now,” but there is uncertainty as to whether the EU has the capacity to turn that moment into a clear calendar that will offer candidate countries certainty of membership within the next 3, 6, or 8 years – without obstructions that are inconsistent with the Copenhagen criteria.
(EUpravo zato)
