The Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen met Friday in Skopje with the newly elected Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and congratulated on his election as the Prime Minister.

“I welcome the intention of the Prime Minister to lead a reform government which will work in the interest of all citizens. The formation of the new government is an opportunity to implement a broad range of reforms in line with the OSCE principles and commitments. I believe that it’s now time to overcome challenges and focus on the way forward," Suomalainen said. 

Ambassador Suomalainen conveyed to Prime Minister Zaev the readiness of the OSCE Mission to Skopje to support reforms within the Mission’s mandate, namely the rule of law, police, elections, public administration, freedom of the media and inter-ethnic relations.

 “I assured the Prime Minister that that the country can always count on the support of the wider OSCE family – the Mission, the Chairmanship, ODIHR, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the High Commissioner on National Minorities – in the reform process,” said Suomalainen.

Today’s meeting with Prime Minister Zaev was the first in a series of meetings of the OSCE Head of Mission with the new administration. The meetings aim to re-affirm the OSCE’s commitment and support for national institutions in the implementation of reforms.

"Only with a committed reform process we are able to meet the strategic interests of Macedonia, its perspectives towards the EU and NATO. To that end, we intent to define a short-term and a middle-term agenda," Zaev said in the meeting with Suomalainen.