The European Union, once a peace project, should again become recognisable by its most powerful tool ­ the Europeaisation. Under this process the Union managed to stimulate countries and societies to voluntarily democratise themselves, Macedonia’s President Gjorge Ivanov said Thursday in Istanbul at the presidential session of the 20th Eurasian Economic Summit. “The Europeaisation is the only way for expanding the room of peace, security and prosperity in the closer and wider European neighbourhood ­ in North Africa, Mid­East, the Caucasus region. I’ve failed to mention the Balkan region, as it is the root of Europe. But Europe should yet come to its senses and return to its roots,” Ivanov said. Since its independence 26 years ago Macedonia wished to join the European Union and the liberal system. But the liberal system, which champions the identity rights and freedoms, has been the one ‘to deny our inalienable rights and freedoms of self­identification, he added.

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