North
Macedonia
Accession to
the EU
Delegates: Fiona Zhang
Why this matters…
The European Union’s aims: (quoted directly)
- Promote peace
- Offer freedom
- Establish an internal market
- Achieve sustainable development based on balanced economic
growth
- Respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity
- Establish an economic and monetary union whose currency is the
euro
Our stances in the EU
2004: applied for EU membership
2005: granted EU candidate status
79% of North Macedonian’s citizens approves of EU
accession
Our Relation to the EU
International Trade
-
EU accounts for 77.5% and 51% of
NM’s exports and imports
respectively
Export commodities → ferronickel
alloys, iron and steel, and textiles
Import commodities → crude oil,
electricity, and vehicle
Our Relation to the EU
Foreign entities and investment
-
Issued nearly 4000 thousands work permit, 573 of whom are
European workers (FYR Macedonia, 2020)
Net FDI flows reached up to USD 606 million (UNCTAD World
Investment Report, 2022)
51 foreign companies (hotel, factories), most of which are from the
EU (Balkan Insight, 2017)
Our Achievement in European peace
1. Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA)
-
NM is the first in Western Balkan to sign an SAA with the EU
2. Stances on Russia-Ukraine
-
Approved the UN’S General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1
Dismissed 11 Russian diplomats by March 2022
Sent lethal military aid to Ukraine e.g. tanks and aircrafts
3. EU’s commitment to support Afghanistan
-
NM participated in ISAF operation in August 2022
Temporarily hosted 800 Afghans fleeing from the Taliban
Our Achievement in the Balkan
1. Bilateral Issues with Greece
-
Resolved name issue with Greece and agreed to change
name to North Macedonia through the 2018 Prespa
Agreement
2. Bilateral Issues with Bulgaria
-
Resolved issue with Bulgaria: agreed to recognise a Bulgarian
minority
4. The Western Balkans Quad (WB QUAD)
-
Launched in March 2023 by Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro,
North Macedonia
100% alignment with EU Common Foreign Security Policy
(CFSP)
Our proposal
●
By approving the accession of North
Macedonia to the EU:
○ Maintains EU’s credibility as a
host region for peace
○ Embraces EU’s commitment as
a unified block democracy that
share the same strategic values
and goals
○ Boosts the improving peace in
the West Balkan region
Bibliography
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https://www.eeas.europa.eu/north-maced
onia/european-union-and-north-macedo
nia_en?s=229#:~:text=The%20EU%20is%2
0North%20Macedonia's,and%2051%25%20
of%20its%20imports.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/2
8/north-macedonia-orders-expulsion-of-fi
ve-russian-diplomats
https://international-partnerships.ec.euro
pa.eu/countries/afghanistan_en
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
_196248.htm?selectedLocale=en
●
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/202
20716-north-macedonia-lawmakers-appr
ove-deal-with-bulgaria-to-clear-way-for-e
u-membership-talks