OSCE Secretary General and EU Commissioner Hahn encourage political parties in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to engage in political process and to reach an agreement through dialogue

VIENNA, 8 June 2015 – OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, in a meeting on 6 June, reviewed with concern the state of affairs in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and discussed next steps needed to rapidly overcome current political tensions.

Zannier thanked Commissioner Hahn for his personal role in the cross-party dialogue facilitated by the EU, and stressed that it was critical for all political parties to remain engaged and committed to open dialogue in a constructive and transparent manner.  He expressed hope that at their next meeting in Brussels on 10 June the parties would find solutions to the remaining points.

Zannier and Hahn agreed that holding early elections by April 2016, as agreed by the country’s leaders last week, would be an important step towards normalization. "Free and fair elections are vital to strengthening democratic processes in the country,” Zannier said. “I expect that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will again engage robustly in observing the elections, particularly at this crucial time."

Noting that ODIHR’s final report on its observation of the 2014 early parliamentary elections pointed to a number of shortcomings, Zannier underlined the need for the country’s responsible institutions to fully and urgently implement ODIHR’s recommendations on electoral processes. 

Acknowledging the preliminary agreement reached by the political parties on 2 June, Zannier said, “Political leaders have demonstrated a willingness to settle outstanding issues, and I encourage them to come to an agreement to overcome the current crisis.”