Johannes Hahn visits the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, will travel to Skopje on Friday 14 October. He will meet with the Prime Minister, the leaders of the four main political parties, the Special Prosecutor as well as representatives of the civil society. The main purpose of the visit is to take stock of political developments and discuss the way ahead, notably regarding the organisation of early parliamentary elections in December and the implementation of the Urgent Reform Priorities, which are crucial.

Ahead of the visit Commissioner Hahn said: "I am looking forward to my visit to Skopje. The agreement reached last summer by all main political parties in setting up an election date for this December is a good step. However this is only the beginning: it is important that the conditions of credible elections are fully in place and that the citizens can freely participate. I will meet all main political interlocutors and representatives of civil society to discuss also how to speed up the implementation of urgent rule of law reforms. All this is crucial for the country to make sustainable progress on its path towards the EU. I also look forward to hearing from the Special Prosecutor about how her work is progressing and the challenges she is facing."