After a four-year status quo in the EU integration process, the EU Council of Ministers has defined a clear framework for Macedonia's accession negotiations, which is of great significance for the EU integration process, Vice PM for EU Affairs, Teuta Arifi told Wednesday's press conference commenting the conclusions of yesterday's summit of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

"The framework envisages accession negotiations to be opened based on a report prepared by the European Commission (EC) in the first trimester of 2013. Further implementation of reforms will be assessed and the EC as a result will put forward a draft-framework for launching membership talks and will kick off an analytical screening of chapters 23 and 24," Arifi said.

Asked to comment the different interpretations of the conclusions, Teuta Arifi noted that the EU had refrained from using a vocabulary for conditioning.

"On the contrary, we are given a framework for joint preparation for negotiations with the Union regarding membership reforms. The report should give an account on good neighbourly relations as a political criterion as well as on progress made in name talks, which remains to be settled within the UN under conclusion 42," Arifi stated adding that "this is the best report yet by the Council of Ministers."

She also commented the opinion by the Athens administration that "without a name solution there won't be an EC report."

"The EU reaches decisions with a consensus. Macedonia should be extremely satisfied with the fact that within the Council huge support was demonstrated by the European institutions and by a number of EU members. They made efforts for us as though they are being engaged for themselves. Consequently, it is an additional obligation not only to maintain the process, but also to upgrade it and use it in our favour in a bid to build better international relations," the Vice PM said.

Vice PM Arifi said she was optimistic about the possibility the country to open negotiations with the EU in 2013. "My optimism is based on our efforts and strong orientation towards the EU, which has no alternative."