"The Republic of North Macedonia is a valuable ally in NATO. Skopje contributes to security and stability in the Western Balkans," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski.
"We continue our strong support for Ukraine. Stability in the region is extremely important and European integration is a goal. It is a priority to enter the EU by 2030," Kovacevski said for his part. "The prosperity of our citizens should not be put on the map by destructive political parties. Our citizens deserve to be together with the strongest and richest countries."
"North Macedonia participates effectively in all NATO institutions. I personally thank NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for his strong support for the integration of the RSM and the Western Balkans," he added.
Stoltenberg praised Skopje for the progress in NATO and emphasized the country's importance in the region.
"The Republic of North Macedonia is a valuable ally in NATO. Skopje contributes to security and stability in the Western Balkans. The country participates in KFOR, strives for 2% defense spending and has categorically denounced Russian aggression in Ukraine. NATO can count on North Macedonia and North Macedonia can count on NATO," Stoltenberg said.
The Secretary General drew attention to the problems in the Western Balkans, specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
"The Western Balkans are important to NATO and there are reasons for concern. In BiH, I call on political leaders to refrain from separatist rhetoric and concentrate on peaceful coexistence. In Kosovo, there were episodes of violence, such as the unacceptable attack on NATO peacekeepers, all those responsible must to be held accountable. Belgrade and Pristina must participate in the dialogue with the EU, this is the only chance for progress," Stoltenberg continued.
"We also see authoritarian regimes threatening our freedom. This is happening here in the Balkans as well. They are spreading misinformation, division and undermining democracy. Our response must be to work even harder with NATO."
The two also commented on the warning of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, about a possible Russian "attack" on the Balkans.
"We are watching what Russia is doing and we are united. We are ready to act quickly to protect any NATO ally. But for now we do not see a military threat from Russia to an ally," Stoltenberg said.
"We and other NATO members are fighting against Russia's influence in the Balkans," added Kovacevski.
"Each country chooses its own path. One of the main reasons for Putin's attack was precisely this. No more NATO in the east. Now it gets the exact opposite with the new members Sweden and Finland. This is a spectacular strategic loss for Putin," concluded the head of NATO. / BGNES
