Latest news with #HristijanMickoski
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK ‘to ask Kosovo' to take failed asylum seekers in overseas ‘return hubs plan'
The UK is reportedly set to ask Kosovo to take failed asylum seekers as part of plans to open overseas 'return hubs' for migrants. Kosovo has been put on a list of nine countries that are seen as potential locations for the hubs, The Times has reported. The 'returns hubs' would house asylum seekers after they have exhausted all their rights to appeal for sanctuary in the UK. They would then be deported back to their home country from these hubs. Kosovo's president, Vjosa Osmani, has already said that the country would be open to discuss housing the UK's failed asylum seekers. She said last week: 'There's been no formal talks with the UK on this issue. It hasn't been raised so far. We would be open to discussing it, however I can't say more than that because I don't know the details. 'I cannot give an answer on a request that hasn't been made so far'. The prime minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, also said last week that his country had not yet been formally approached by the UK for the scheme. According to The Times, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are on the shortlist of countries that the UK is eyeing up. There are also reportedly some countries outside of Europe on the list. The paper reported that the UK wants to have begun talks on the scheme before a meeting of western Balkan leaders in London in autumn. Almost 22,000 people were recorded using the Western Balkans to travel irregularly into Europe last year, according to the Foreign Office. Foreign secretary David Lammy travelled to Kosovo and Serbia in early April. He said parts of the western Balkans 'have become a major transit route for irregular migration and serious organised crime'. Sir Keir Starmer raised the idea of 'returns hubs' during the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania. He told reporters that such hubs were not 'a silver bullet in and of themselves', but would be 'a very important additional tool in our armoury'. He said he had had 'discussions about return hubs' with leaders at the summit. However Albanian prime minister Edi Rama ruled out being a host to the UK scheme, saying an equivalent measure introduced for the Italian government was a one-off.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
EU presses North Macedonia to make ‘era-defining' decisions for membership
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The European Union's top foreign policy official on Friday urged North Macedonia to take 'era-defining' decisions to advance its bid for EU membership. Speaking in the capital Skopje alongside Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the bloc's support but stressed that progress depends on multiple domestic reforms. 'The road to membership is not easy, so my message today is to stay on the course and to take next steps necessary towards the opening of the negotiations,' Kallas said. 'North Macedonia faces era-defining choices for its citizens and its future.' Key among those steps is a constitutional amendment to formally recognize a Bulgarian minority — a condition set by EU neighbor Bulgaria to lift its veto of North Macedonian membership. The issue has become a political flashpoint in North Macedonia, where the conservative government insists that EU accession should not be affected by bilateral disputes. Although the European Union has not accepted any new members since Croatia's accession in 2013, the war in Ukraine and concerns for broader European stability have refocused efforts to advance membership bids. 'The integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is the best recipe for peace and security,' Kallas said. 'We are ready to support North Macedonia in strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption, and modernizing public administration.' North Macedonia and Albania began membership talks with the EU in 2022 after years of delays, largely driven by Bulgaria's veto over cultural and historical disagreements with Skopje. Albania has since moved ahead in the process. Mickoski reiterated his position that Bulgaria must first approve North Macedonia's membership before any constitutional change. 'We belong in the EU not because someone owes it to us, but because we've built a democracy based on European values,' the prime minister. 'We expect fair treatment and consistent leadership from the Union.' Kallas' visit to Skopje was part of a broader two-day tour of the Western Balkans. Six regional countries are at various stages of EU accession. Montenegro and Albania lead the process, while Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia lag behind.
23-05-2025
- Politics
EU presses North Macedonia to make 'era-defining' decisions for membership
SKOPJE, North Macedonia -- The European Union's top foreign policy official on Friday urged North Macedonia to take 'era-defining' decisions to advance its bid for EU membership. Speaking in the capital Skopje alongside Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the bloc's support but stressed that progress depends on multiple domestic reforms. 'The road to membership is not easy, so my message today is to stay on the course and to take next steps necessary towards the opening of the negotiations," Kallas said. 'North Macedonia faces era-defining choices for its citizens and its future.' Key among those steps is a constitutional amendment to formally recognize a Bulgarian minority — a condition set by EU neighbor Bulgaria to lift its veto of North Macedonian membership. The issue has become a political flashpoint in North Macedonia, where the conservative government insists that EU accession should not be affected by bilateral disputes. Although the European Union has not accepted any new members since Croatia's accession in 2013, the war in Ukraine and concerns for broader European stability have refocused efforts to advance membership bids. 'The integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is the best recipe for peace and security,' Kallas said. 'We are ready to support North Macedonia in strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption, and modernizing public administration.' North Macedonia and Albania began membership talks with the EU in 2022 after years of delays, largely driven by Bulgaria's veto over cultural and historical disagreements with Skopje. Albania has since moved ahead in the process. Mickoski reiterated his position that Bulgaria must first approve North Macedonia's membership before any constitutional change. 'We belong in the EU not because someone owes it to us, but because we've built a democracy based on European values,' the prime minister. 'We expect fair treatment and consistent leadership from the Union.' Kallas' visit to Skopje was part of a broader two-day tour of the Western Balkans. Six regional countries are at various stages of EU accession. Montenegro and Albania lead the process, while Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia lag behind.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU presses North Macedonia to make 'era-defining' decisions for membership
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The European Union's top foreign policy official on Friday urged North Macedonia to take 'era-defining' decisions to advance its bid for EU membership. Speaking in the capital Skopje alongside Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the bloc's support but stressed that progress depends on multiple domestic reforms. 'The road to membership is not easy, so my message today is to stay on the course and to take next steps necessary towards the opening of the negotiations," Kallas said. 'North Macedonia faces era-defining choices for its citizens and its future.' Key among those steps is a constitutional amendment to formally recognize a Bulgarian minority — a condition set by EU neighbor Bulgaria to lift its veto of North Macedonian membership. The issue has become a political flashpoint in North Macedonia, where the conservative government insists that EU accession should not be affected by bilateral disputes. Although the European Union has not accepted any new members since Croatia's accession in 2013, the war in Ukraine and concerns for broader European stability have refocused efforts to advance membership bids. 'The integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is the best recipe for peace and security,' Kallas said. 'We are ready to support North Macedonia in strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption, and modernizing public administration.' North Macedonia and Albania began membership talks with the EU in 2022 after years of delays, largely driven by Bulgaria's veto over cultural and historical disagreements with Skopje. Albania has since moved ahead in the process. Mickoski reiterated his position that Bulgaria must first approve North Macedonia's membership before any constitutional change. 'We belong in the EU not because someone owes it to us, but because we've built a democracy based on European values,' the prime minister. 'We expect fair treatment and consistent leadership from the Union.' Kallas' visit to Skopje was part of a broader two-day tour of the Western Balkans. Six regional countries are at various stages of EU accession. Montenegro and Albania lead the process, while Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia lag behind.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
EU presses North Macedonia to make ‘era-defining' decisions for membership
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The European Union's top foreign policy official on Friday urged North Macedonia to take 'era-defining' decisions to advance its bid for EU membership. Speaking in the capital Skopje alongside Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the bloc's support but stressed that progress depends on multiple domestic reforms. 'The road to membership is not easy, so my message today is to stay on the course and to take next steps necessary towards the opening of the negotiations,' Kallas said. 'North Macedonia faces era-defining choices for its citizens and its future.' Key among those steps is a constitutional amendment to formally recognize a Bulgarian minority — a condition set by EU neighbor Bulgaria to lift its veto of North Macedonian membership. The issue has become a political flashpoint in North Macedonia, where the conservative government insists that EU accession should not be affected by bilateral disputes. Although the European Union has not accepted any new members since Croatia's accession in 2013, the war in Ukraine and concerns for broader European stability have refocused efforts to advance membership bids. 'The integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is the best recipe for peace and security,' Kallas said. 'We are ready to support North Macedonia in strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption, and modernizing public administration.' North Macedonia and Albania began membership talks with the EU in 2022 after years of delays, largely driven by Bulgaria's veto over cultural and historical disagreements with Skopje. Albania has since moved ahead in the process. Mickoski reiterated his position that Bulgaria must first approve North Macedonia's membership before any constitutional change. 'We belong in the EU not because someone owes it to us, but because we've built a democracy based on European values,' the prime minister. 'We expect fair treatment and consistent leadership from the Union.' Kallas' visit to Skopje was part of a broader two-day tour of the Western Balkans. Six regional countries are at various stages of EU accession. Montenegro and Albania lead the process, while Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia lag behind.
