SKOPJE, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani told reporters Friday that Macedonia's European Union (EU) integration process depended on the concrete results of reforms.
For this reason, he appealed to all political parties in Macedonia to freeze their party activities in the coming six months and focus on the greater picture, namely the delivery of reforms.
Osmani noted Macedonia's political class could turn 2018 into a historic year for Macedonia in its EU and NATO integration process.
The next six weeks are crucial in determining the course of events related to the EU, he added, voicing hope that Macedonia would get an accession talks date at the European Council in June of next year.
"In the coming six weeks Macedonia is set to deliver legislation in priority fields of judiciary, security and intelligence services, and public administration," Osmani said.
"In 2018, Bulgaria and Austria will hold the rotating EU presidency [of the Council of the EU], followed by Romania. And these are countries that promote the region's Union accession," Osmani told reporters here.
"If the country produces results, it hopes for a clear recommendation for the start of accession talks, followed by the European Commission's guidelines over the launch of preparations of the negotiating framework in March, maybe even pre-screening of chapters 23 and 24," Osmani said.
He also noted that government was in continual communication with President Gjorge Ivanov and opposition parties in order to carry on with the required reforms.
The European Commission is expected to release an EU integration progress report in April.
