TIRANA, January 17 /ATA/ Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani said today that Albania and North Macedonia should continue negotiations with the EU and accelerate their integration even before full membership, adding that this is also a matter of security.
In the joint press conference with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani, who is conducting an official visit to North Macedonia, Osmani assessed that the two countries are much more than good neighbors, they are friendly countries.
“We have deep mutual relations, with extremely high mutual support; partners and allies, we continue together towards our European ambitions to see both countries as full members of the European Union”, said Osmani.
Both countries have been actively negotiating with the EU for a year, and successfully completed the screening process.
Osmani said that, “Both countries received good marks and are ready to open the first clusters and the first chapters of negotiations without any hesitation”.
“This is also a matter of security. In the modern challenges of hybrid threats, external influences, but also an active kinetic war on European soil, the integration of the Western Balkans in Europe is also a political-security issue. Russian aggression against Ukraine deserves every punishment and we are here united and stable. Europe, certainly with the deep participation of the USA, must strengthen its presence in the region, strengthen its participation in the policies of the Western Balkan countries and in this way not only strengthen our defense role, but also send a powerful message of prevention, as one of the main security policies of Europe”, he emphasized.
Focusing on the economic relations between the two countries, Osmani said that, “Unfortunately, they remain far behind the excellent political relations”.
“The trade exchanges, which barely exceed 200 million Euros, do not correspond to the capacities of the two economies, to the potential of businesses, to the proximity of the two countries and to the established close relations. We intend to push this issue high in the priorities of diplomacy”, he added./m.m/p.s./
