Negotiations on bilateral name dispute and EU integration of the Republic of Macedonia should be held as two parallel processes, assessed the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania. After today’s meeting with Macedonia’s President Gjorge Ivanov, who is paying a working visit to Lithuania, the Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Ceslovas Stankevicius said that the name issue should not hinder Macedonia’s EU integration process, whereas the UN-led talks and the pre-accession talks for membership of Macedonia in the EU should be held in parallel.

This position, as a joint statement of the Heads of Foreign Affairs Committee of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, has been submitted to the Danish counterpart, Eva Kjer Hansen, as well as to the Conference of the Committees of the National Parliaments of the European Union Member States (COSAC) meeting, held in Copenhagen.

The three Baltic countries, in a joint letter, urge the Danish Presidency at the next European Union Council in June to include in the agenda the issue of launching accession talks with Macedonia, and to get a positive decision thereon by the Council.

”Along with the other countries, primarily with the two other Baltic states, we have expressed our support for starting accession negotiations with Macedonia. Recently, all the Baltic States signed a special statement which was submitted to the COSAC Conference in Copenhagen. We strongly support Macedonia’s EU membership, and we believe that the name issue should be resolved in parallel, without hindering the integration process”, said the Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, Ceslovas Stankevicius, after the meeting with Ivanov.

In the joint statement, the Baltic States stress that bilateral dispute should be resolved within existing relevant agreements.

We believe that the existing difference between the parties over the name of the candidate country should not impede or affect the start of the accession talks with the EU, and to be resolved in separate negotiations in good faith pursuant to the UN Resolution 817 (1993) and the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995. Any mutually acceptable solution to the name issue under UN auspices, should be supported and accepted, reads the letter.

It is stated in the common statement that the EU institutions have on several occasions welcomed Macedonia’s progress in key reform areas and that the country has been fulfilling the undertaken obligations under the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

Also the signatories underline the European Commission recommendation to start negotiations with Macedonia, and the conclusion of the meeting of the Council on December 5, 2011, which states that the Council is willing to revisit this issue during the next presidency.

At the meeting, Macedonian President Ivanov and Lithuanian Deputy Speaker Stankevicius expressed satisfaction with the initiated cooperation at parliamentary level and interest of strengthening the political dialogue and cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest. Lithuania, also expressed willingness to share their experience and expertise.

Ivanov in Vilnius today met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Audronius Azhubalis and with the President of the Lithuanian Parliament, Irena Degutiene. The name issue, the efforts to unblock the integrations, the ICJ ruling, were among the discussion topics, whereas President Ivanov expressed his gratitude for the current support.

With tomorrow’s meeting with the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, President Ivanov will finish his Baltic tour. During the visit, Deputy Ministers of Culture of Macedonia and Lithuania will sign a bilateral cooperation agreement between the two governments in the field of culture.

Intensified diplomatic activities of the Macedonian state leadership aim at lobbying support for Macedonia on the eve of NATO Summit in Chicago and the upcoming European Council in Brussels.