The United States supports the accession of North Macedonia to the European Union (EU).
That's according to a draft Senate resolution introduced by Democratic Sens. Peter Welch and Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Sens. Pete Ricketts and Tom Tillis.
In the proposed resolution, the Senate called on the President and Secretary of State of the United States, as well as European allies, to advocate for the opening of the EU's first negotiating cluster with North Macedonia, without additional bilateral conditions.
"The President and the Secretary of State should continue to work closely with the government of North Macedonia to support the enlargement of the European Union with the Western Balkans, including North Macedonia on its path to the European Union," reads the proposed text, quoted by Radio Free Europe.
The resolution also underscored the Senate's support for the Macedonian government to undertake the reforms necessary to progress toward membership.
The Senate "encourages Skopje to continue its important work towards membership of the European Union, as well as efforts to continue peace, stability and prosperity in Eastern Europe."
The draft resolution notes that the country is an important security partner of the European Union and the United States and a NATO ally, providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid and significant military equipment, voting in support of UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions against Russian aggression , accepting all Russian sanctions from the European Union".
Last October, Senators Welch and Sahin visited North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing US support for European integration in the Western Balkans and security in the region amid Russian aggression against Ukraine. /BGNES
