site.btaNorth Macedonia Foreign Minister Osmani: European Integration of Western Balkans Is Two-Way Process

The European integration of the Western Balkan countries is a two-way process, which is in the interest of the region, but no less so of the European Union and its member states, said North Macedonia Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani during the panel "Western Balkans: A New Euro-Atlantic Momentum" within the Dubrovnik 2023 forum. "Due to the lack of a clear picture of the benefits, we have fallen into a crisis of mistrust and it is necessary to identify the interest of both sides as soon as possible," he added.

According to Osmani, the solution lies in a bilateral commitment: to the EU that the integration of the Western Balkan countries is a credible process; and to the Western Balkan countries that they will not push for EU membership before they are ready to do so.

"This process can be further helped by the accelerated integration called "More integration before membership", which implies a gradual integration of candidate countries, through access to EU funds and visible benefits of the integration process even before full membership", Osmani said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia pointed out that the constitutional changes in the country represent a serious challenge.

"I hope that the existence of a political government in Bulgaria, the international support for the process and our readiness to talk to the new Bulgarian government may mean a point of no return in terms of our European integration process," Osmani clarified.