No: 206, 15 July 2015

We welcome that negotiations, which were held in Skopje at the night of 14 July 2015 among VMRO-DPMNE leader and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Democratic Union of Integration leader Ali Ahmeti, the main opposition SDSM leader Zoran Zaev and the leader of the Democratic Party of the Albanians Menduh Thaçi in order to find a solution to the ongoing political tension in Republic of Macedonia, resulted in reconciliation with also the contributions of the international community.

In this scope, the consensus on starting the necessary preparations by the end of 2015 for the early elections to be held in April 2016 constitutes a positive development as well. We also welcome that a broad-based reconciliation has been reached to find a solution to the political controversy through dialogue and within the framework of democratic rules and rule of law principle, as suggested by the Republic of Turkey to the authorities and political party leaders of the friendly and brotherly Republic of Macedonia on every occasion. We believe that the leaders who have achieved this reconciliation will take the necessary steps in accordance with the aforementioned agreement, acting with the necessary political will and responsibility.