Mucunski: The EU’s expansion is necessary for political and security stability on the European continent

Athens – The enlargement of the European Union towards the Western Balkans is not only a necessity for the Union for economic and trade reasons, but it is also a necessity for political and security stability on the European continent, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mucunski, during his participation at the Delphi Economic Summit in Greece, emphasizing that there is a gap in the EU between promises and fulfillments, reported the MIA correspondent from Athens.

The head of diplomacy spoke about the EU perspective of the country, the relations with the USA, and transatlantic cooperation, while he began his address with gratitude to Greece and the Greek people for the assistance to our country after the tragic fire in the nightclub in Kochani, a gratitude that was met with applause from those present.

At the panel discussion on the topic: “Is the EU – USA alliance beyond repair?” the head of diplomacy stated that the USA is a huge investor in political, security, and economic stability in the region.

– The danger of interaction between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is something we have not taken seriously enough, and I say this from a political, security, but also from an economic and trade perspective. These countries, from the American government’s point of view, are seen as strategic competition and a strategic threat, the minister pointed out, adding that in Europe there are different approaches to how, for example, China is viewed.

Mucunski stated that NATO is changing its approach to many things and “is changing to become a stronger alliance, not a weaker alliance,” emphasizing that the USA invests in stability, but each country must show responsibility and identify threats from a European, regional, and global perspective.

Speaking about our European perspective, he reminded those present that this year marks 20 years since the candidate status was granted, and negotiations have still not begun, emphasizing that “we are victims of bilateral criteria over and over again.” He pointed out that the EU allows a vacuum to exist in the Western Balkans, and this is due to “the gap between commitments and delivery, that is, between the promises made in our region and the lack of delivery,” which, according to the minister, allows for the influence of certain actors such as Russia and China.

– The message we are sending to Brussels and to the member states is that it is necessary to find a tangible path for the Western Balkans to move forward and a way to close the gap between commitments, the many windows of opportunity that were promised to us in the past, a phrase that is often used, now is the opportunity, now is the momentum, but the delivery from the European Union has always been lacking. From this perspective, what I can say is that one of the strongest tangible supporters of the enlargement of the European Union has always been the United States of America, and this is something we need to keep in mind. Yes, the USA is not a member of the EU, but the United States has an interest in the stability of the region, the head of diplomacy conveyed. (April 10, 2025)