North Macedonia's PM: EU Enlargement in Western Balkans Is Matter of Security

Dimitar Kovacevski (BETAPHOTO/NORTH MACEDONIA GOVERNMENT/DS)

The all but dormant process of the European Union's enlargement in the Western Balkans has become a security problem due to the increasing influence of third countries in that unsettled region, the prime minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, assessed on June 8.

Kovacevski said in an interview to EURACTIV that, by making some tough decisions, Skopje had demonstrated its commitment to European integration, but that the EU had still not made the decision to open the pre-accession negotiations with his country. "We cannot form or topple governments before and after every EU summit. That is simply unsustainable," Kovacevski said in connection with the Union's summit, scheduled for June 23, at which the EU's enlargement will be one of the topics.

He has warned that enlargement was no longer just an issue of the EU's enlargement as such, or just a political or economic issue. "After Russia's attack on Ukraine, and in the light of influence of third players in the Western Balkans region, enlargement has become a security issue," Kovacevski told EURACTIV.

EU officials are scheduled to meet with the leaders of six countries of the Western Balkans – two of which Brussels is already negotiating with, while another two have the candidate status. A summit will be held after that, with the possible granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine being one of the topics.