PM Zaev: Progress – only way for the Western Balkan countries to join EU

Only a progress of all countries in the region may contribute to their EU accession, Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Friday at an annual regional convention on European Integration of the Western Balkans within the project ‘Fostering the partnership between V4 and WB and capacity building in Western Balkans’.The reform plan 3-6-9 is the main road map of the ongoing activities for transforming the institutions, policies and the society, Zaev said, pointing out that the next year is vital for Macedonia, when the country expects substantial progress on its road to joining the Euro-Atlantic organizations.To that effect Macedonia has been working on advancing the relations with its neighbors, Zaev said, notifying the friendship treaty with Bulgaria as an example of ‘our sincere intention’.He also underlined the experience of the Visegrad Group for Macedonia and the Western Balkan countries.Today’s event brought together Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, Ambassadors of Visegrad Group member countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia.