EU Ambassador says rule of law is essential for North Macedonia's EU accession

European Union ambassador Michalis Rokas affirmed the EU’s full commitment to North Macedonia’s European perspective, stating that the country is viewed as a future full member of the Union. He emphasized that "the rule of law will remain the main criterion" for evaluating progress of any candidate country, urging continued reforms in the judiciary and public administration.

Rokas highlighted that recent intergovernmental conferences with Albania, Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro have opened new negotiation chapters, noting Montenegro’s notable progress. He also cited a study showing that the cost of EU enlargement would be less than one euro per day per citizen, underscoring the financial sustainability of the process. The ambassador praised the North Macedonian parliament’s recent adoption of several laws and reiterated that, with EU delegation support, institutions can prepare successfully for membership.