North Macedonia has considered border changes in the Western Balkan countries as unnecessary seeing the only alternative to lasting peace NATO enlargement and the integration of the whole region into the European Union.
This was declared by Foreign Minister of Skopje Bujar Osmani during a joint press conference with his Kosovo counterpart, Donika Gervalla, in Pristina where he was on an official visit last Friday, local media reported.
“I think that the Ohrid Agreement, Kosovo’s Independence, Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region turned out to be successful models in the region and we think that the only alternative to lasting peace is NATO enlargement and the integration of the whole region into the European Union,” said Osmani.
He said the only right path for the Balkans is its integration in the European Union while commenting on the issue of changing borders based on ethnicity.
According to him, there are many ways to deal with ethnic issues in the Balkans which could also be successful for economic issues.
For her part Pristina’s top diplomat Gervalla said that even mentioning changing borders is very dangerous for the region.
“Our position is very clear that we see this as dangerous and all parties should be very careful because in this form new conflicts arise, which are completely unnecessary for our region,” she pointed out.
Gervalla said that relations between Kosovo and North Macedonia are a model of regional cooperation and good neighborliness. She added that with this bilateral cooperation, both countries are contributing to the whole region on its path towards the European Union.
In the meantime, North Macedonia’s chief diplomat expressed his country’s readiness to help Kosovo with the European integration process.
“Our ambition is the full integration of the six countries of the Western Balkans in the EU and as a negotiating country with the EU and long experience in this regard we are ready to make available to Kosovo all our knowledge and experiences so far,” he said.
The minister was also received by other senior officials of Kosovo among whom President Vjosa Osmani. / argumentum.al
