Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-02-Speech-3-139"
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"en.20010502.9.3-139"2
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"Before I turn to the question of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, let me place on record our condemnation of the attack on the Kosovo foreign border at the weekend in which eight Fyrom soldiers were killed. As Commission Patten said at the weekend, this was an attack against democracy, an attack designed to derail the interparty dialogue that has recently begun in Fyrom on interethnic relations, a dialogue which the European Union has strongly supported.
We continue to stand four square for the values of tolerance and moderation and in support of those who seek to resolve differences through dialogue instead of the bomb and the bullet. That is why the signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and Fyrom which took place in Luxembourg on 9 April was such an important event. It is the first such agreement we have signed with a country in the region and it symbolises the strong ties that exist between the Union and Fyrom. It was signed in the presence of the European Union's Foreign Ministers and representatives of nearly all the parties: opposition government, Albanian, Macedonian, Slav, which are represented in the Parliament in Skopje.
The message was one of unity, unity in the face of the threats to democracy that Fyrom has recently faced and continues to face today. Unity in a shared belief in Fyrom's future as a key member of the European family.
The negotiations were launched by the Commission on 5 March 2000. Thanks to excellent cooperation with the Macedonian authorities, the negotiations were concluded within nine months and the agreement was initialled in the margins of the Zagreb Summit on 24 November.
The main elements of the agreement are the establishment of a free trade area between the Community and Fyrom within a ten-year period after the entry into force of the agreement, the establishment of a political dialogue, provisions on regional cooperation provisions on the freedom of movement of workers, freedom of establishment, supply of services, a commitment by the Fyrom authorities to approximate legislation to that of the European Community especially in the internal market, cooperation in areas such as justice and home affairs, establishment of a stabilisation and association council that supervises the implementation of the agreement.
The agreement makes clear that Fyrom is a potential candidate for membership of the European Union once it has implemented the agreement and subject to the Copenhagen criteria. The interim agreement also signed on 9 April provides for the trade-related provisions of the agreement to enter into force from 1 June 2001, without having to wait for the formal ratification of the agreement by national parliaments.
The Commission invites the European Parliament to give its assent to the agreement and we hope that national parliaments will ratify the agreement as quickly as possible. As honourable Members are aware, this is a critical period in Fyrom's history. This agreement and Parliament's support for it underline the European Union's commitment to Fyrom's wellbeing and the confidence in our people. That is the context in which the Presidency, Commissioner Patten and the High Representative have been working hard in recent weeks to facilitate the dialogue between democratically elected political parties in Fyrom, initiated by President Trajkovski and which is designed to address legitimate grievances.
That hard work will continue, but as with the agreement, while the European Union will wish to be as supportive as possible, ultimately the main effort must be made by the people of Fyrom and their political leaders. It is they who carry responsibility for their countries future which is why it is so important to press ahead now with the political dialogue.
Thank you all for your contributions and thank you also to Mr Swoboda."@en1
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