Brussels, 4 December 2025 (MIA) – The region, my country as well, has been fighting for these values for decades and there is no doubt that for the region there is no alternative outside of membership in the EU and the membership in NATO. It's good that we are members of NATO but unfortunately the EU delivery is missing, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski told Thursday's panel "Enlargement matters - Europe's new geopolitical, security and economic frontier" as part of the EU - Western Balkans Summit organized by the Friends of Europe think tank in Brussels. 

"Someone said yesterday that we are frustrated, I think we are not frustrated anymore, we got used to it, it's like normal. I am being a bit ironic to try to paint in one sentence what is happening," said Nikoloski. 

He stressed that over the past decades the country has made great sacrifices for the accession process, and now it's time for key players in the EU need to be fair and send an honest message on whether the region and the country will join the EU.

"We actually changed the name twice - first it was international use of the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, then we had to change our name again for the entire world and for domestic use as well, inside the country, into North Macedonia. We changed the currency, we changed the flag, we changed the Constitution seven times so far, there is a request for the eighth time now. And it's just a never-ending story. When you speak to people, they are just asking: Is this the last thing. And that is the answer that we are not getting," Nikoloski said. 

He added that the country is currently in communication with Bulgarian friends and with other stakeholders, and the main question is whether the other side can do something so that there is a kind of balance, but the answer is very often "no".

"That's the reality, but I think we should live with it, and we should not say: OK, we give up. The country is transforming inside, as much as we can, with our internal resources, but we are trying to use international resources as well, whether it is cooperation with EU, whether it is with the United States... We signed a strategic partnership agreement with the United Kingdom, we are the first country in Southeastern Europe that has signed this kind of partnership, I had the privilege to sign it in London in May this year. So, it's not that we are not working, it's not that we are not trying or that we are not looking for partners, and clearly, partners are where we belong, in the Western civilisation. Regarding the EU, again, I fully agree that the process is political, there has not been a single enlargement of the EU that has not been political, starting from Greece and Portugal back in the previous century, through the big enlargement back in the beginning of this century, to Bulgaria, Romania. It has always been political. It is clear that political will is lacking for the region," said Deputy PM Nikoloski.  

According to him, there have always been a lot of stories about windows of opportunities, momentums and so on, but no changes.  

He expressed fear that there are still powerful forces in the region, seeking to seize the opportunity, to seize power, but have a completely different vision and are just waiting for the enlargement process to fail.

Nikoloski pointed out that in such conditions, the only way for countries to develop is through economic cooperation, highlighting the government's plans for major regional projects that promote economic cooperation with neighbours. 

"What I think we should do is cooperate economically, which we are already doing in the region, and connect. For example, we are landlocked, but we are lucky to have two pan-European corridors intersecting in the country - Corridor X and Corridor VIII. We are investing a lot of funds, a lot of money to construct highways, to construct railway, and that is something that can completely change and shape the economic future of the country and something we should look together as the future of the region," said Nikoloski. 

He noted that talks are under way with Greece to create 13 lines on the main checkpoint, as well as with Bulgaria on constructing a railway. 

"Today I will meet with the Bulgarian Deputy PM and Minister of Transport for another checkpoint. That is the way we can open to each other and try to keep it aside from the political games," Nikoloski added. 

He stressed that support for EU membership in the region is still high, and mentioned the case of Slovenia and Croatia as a model for good cooperation and resolving bilateral issues, noting that "unfortunately, although Macedonia is open to cooperation, there is no interest from the other side".

According to him, a lot of disinformation is spreading in the region, and the only way to fight this is to deliver results.

"The story of enlargement is something that several key members in the EU have clear decision on, in terms of what will happen and what will not happen. I think it's fair to say that to the region and try to connect to the region in a different form of communication and in a different form of cooperation. I cannot understand how it is possible that you ask from us to change the Constitution again, after changing everything we changed, and there are 14 decisions by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that are applicable for all member states that Bulgaria for example is not implementing for the Macedonian minority there. And no one does any pressure to Bulgaria, all pressure comes to us. I hope this will change, but I'm not sure," Nikoloski told Thursday's panel.

Photo: MIA