Skopje, 26 February 2026 (MIA) - North Macedonia deserves swift membership in the European Union, said Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman after a meeting with counterpart Timcho Mucunski in Skopje on Thursday.

FM Grlić Radman said the country is ready and it would be good for the Macedonian citizens if accession negotiations began, while reaffirming Croatia's support to the Macedonian Euro-integration process.

"If things did not happen as they did more than 20 years ago, North Macedonia could have joined the EU before Croatia. If reform conditions existed back then, they are here now as well. Considering this aspect, we see a perspective. It is important for the citizens of North Macedonia that the country starts the EU negotiations from a positive, affirmative, psychological standpoint. In this process, North Macedonia can make big progress, because as we see it, the country is ready. We hope that conditions for the start of the accession negotiations will be created very soon, for which you have our sincere support," Grlić Radman told a joint press conference with Mucunski.

He added that bilateral cooperation is excellent in all sectors, with no open issues, and potential for cooperation in the fields of energy, health, tourism.

"We are seeing rising economic cooperation in all fields of mutual interest. We have no obstacles, everything is open and friendly between Macedonia and Croatia. I would like to see such an atmosphere in other countries of the Western Balkans as well. Our cooperation can serve as an example for other countries in the region," noted Grlić Radman.

Photo: MIA