Written declaration No. 635 | Doc. 14372 | 29 June 2017

Protection of the reputation of the Macedonian diplomacy

Signatories: Mr Giuseppe GALATI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Francesco Maria AMORUSO, Italy, NR ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Mónika BARTOS, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Elena CENTEMERO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr José CEPEDA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Corneliu Mugurel COZMANCIUC, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Zsolt CSENGER-ZALÁN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Katalin CSÖBÖR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Cristina DE PIETRO, Italy, NR ; Mr Sergio DIVINA, Italy, NR ; Lady Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Claudio FAZZONE, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Sahiba GAFAROVA, Azerbaijan, EC ; Ms Adele GAMBARO, Italy, NR ; Mr Francesco Maria GIRO, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingebjørg GODSKESEN, Norway, EC ; Mr Vladyslav GOLUB, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine, EC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Andrzej HALICKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Ms Rózsa HOFFMANN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Carles JORDANA, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Serhii KIRAL, Ukraine, EC ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Georgii LOGVYNSKYI, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Muslum MAMMADOV, Azerbaijan, SOC ; Mr Jenő MANNINGER, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Suat ÖNAL, Turkey, EC ; Mr Martin POLIAČIK, Slovak Republic, ALDE ; Mr Cezar Florin PREDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Patrícia RIBERAYGUA, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Ms Elisabeth SCHNEIDER-SCHNEITER, Switzerland, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingjerd SCHOU, Norway, EPP/CD ; Mr Senad ŠEPIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EC ; Mr Andrej ŠIRCELJ, Slovenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Olena SOTNYK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Ionuț-Marian STROE, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Dominik TARCZYŃSKI, Poland, EC ; Mr Pavlo UNHURIAN, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefaan VERCAMER, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN, Finland, EPP/CD ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, NR ; Mr Andrzej WOJTYŁA, Poland, EC ; Mr Morten WOLD, Norway, EC ; Mr Roger ZAVOLI, San Marino, ALDE ; Mr Tobias ZECH, Germany, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We express our concern about the latest activities of the Government of "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", specifically as regards its irresponsible behavior in the field of diplomacy.

The main strategic orientation of "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" is to join the European Union and NATO and we support that integration. This process is for all citizens and must be supported by both the government and the opposition. Diplomatic activities are crucial for this process.

We are concerned to learn that the government is making attempts to prevent Mr Aleksandar Nikoloski from taking up his post as Ambassador and Head of Mission of "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" to the European Union. Mr Nikoloski served for nine years in the Parliamentary Assembly in many important posts including Vice-President, First Vice-President of the Monitoring Committee and First Vice-President of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy. Through his work, commitment and personal achievements, he was the best advocate of "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" in the Parliamentary Assembly. His work shows that MPs from smaller countries can contribute a lot with their passionate work.

We are convinced that he will be an excellent representative of "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" to the European Union in Brussels and will speed up the process of European Union integration.

We call on the government to end its irresponsible activities and to protect the reputation of Macedonian diplomacy.