Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev announced that the Government is about to enter into intensive communication with a number of institutions, in order to meet the urgent reform priorities that were outlined in a European Union report.

"During the period when we were preparing for the election, work on the reform priorities was not moving as quickly as we wished. Now, according to the action plan, which contains specific deadlines, all institutions will have obligations to realize what they are asked to do", Dimitriev said, following a Government meeting focused on the priority reforms

The action plan includes several hundreds of steps in the areas of judiciary, security systems, media and inter-ethnic relations. "This is a daunting reform task ahead of us, but I'm certain that with strong focus on the part of the Government and all the others involved in the process we will complete it. We must bear in mind its major importance for the Macedonian membership in NATO and the European Union", Dimitriev said. The Prime Minister added that Macedonia is cooperative and prepared to reform systemic issues that were flagged in the past.

"I hope that these reforms will bring additional benefits in the sense of better operation of institutions and better regulation of the subject areas. Some of the measures are bylaws that can be passed by the institutions alone, other steps will need to be taken by the Government, and then there are laws that will need to be passed through Parliament, with or without two-thirds majority. Some are left for further consultation between the political parties. This shows that there is enough room to include the opposition in the decision making. We will welcome quality proposals from the opposition, because the reforms are done for the benefit of Macedonia, and not for the Government or a single political party", Dimitriev said.

Asked about the decision of President Gjorge Ivanov to revoke 22 of the pardons he extended to over 50 politicians and their supporters in mid April, Dimitriev said that this step is a good opportunity to reduce political tensions in the country. "With the pardoning, the entire issue was put in a political context, and on the politicians that were covered. With the nullification of the pardons for the politicians, I believe there is now room to reduce tensions. Regarding the remaining pardons, there is a legal option, to act on the request of the persons that were pardoned", Dimitriev said, adding that he believes the President has meant well with his decision, but the politically charged situation made it so that it was best to revoke it.