Martin Pamer: talks on EU enlargement non‑papers continue, North Macedonia to get €140m
Ambassador says non‑paper discussions persist ahead of 30 September strategy release and praises €140 million for the Plan for Growth.
Austria’s ambassador to North Macedonia, Martin Pamer, said talks are continuing over competing non-papers that could shape the EU’s new enlargement strategy, which is scheduled to be published on 30 September. He made the remarks at a Slavkov‑3 Initiative event held at Europe House in Skopje.
Ambassador highlights visible projects and financial support
Pamer told journalists that “there is still a process of discussions about different non‑papers,” when asked which draft might dominate the final strategy. He added that, unlike in the past, discussions now focus on concrete countries and measurable steps toward accession.
He also emphasised concrete support for North Macedonia’s reform path: “The country has done excellent work on the Plan for Growth, for which it will be allocated €140 million to assist further progress,” Pamer said, underlining financial backing linked to the plan.
Pamer pointed to a ministerial conference on 27 September in Vienna where Slavkov‑3 members — Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia — will review the Western Balkans’ progress toward EU membership.
Describing Slavkov‑3’s practical cooperation, Pamer noted joint initiatives such as the Plan for Growth, gradual integration measures and projects aimed at citizens’ everyday needs. He said the three countries are engaged in projects supporting sustainable alpine tourism, including construction and restoration of hiking trails on Vodno, Mount Shar and Pelister.
He listed tangible benefits already under way — the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), reduced transfer costs, and the Plan for Growth — and called roaming elimination within the EU one of the most significant forthcoming changes. “It means that soon, probably within a year or two, there will no longer be roaming charges,” he said.
Andrea Stajner‑Votavova, the Czech deputy ambassador, added that supporting the Western Balkans’ European integration remains a key priority for the three Slavkov countries. She highlighted that the trail section from Dolno Sojnie to the Vodno peak, financed by the Czech Republic, was completed last year and is already used by locals and visitors.
Photo: Printskrin
