Skopje, 23 January 2025 (MIA) - Regardless of the tariffs that United States President Donald Trump has said Washington would impose on the European Union, it is crucial for us to stay on the two key paths - EU integration and strategic partnership with the U.S., said Ambassador Gjorgji Filipov on Thursday.

"We are so small that we can mind our own business, i.e. stick to the strategic partnership with the United States. We also have a clear commitment to join the EU. We should stay on these tracks. We are geographically part of Europe and we must be with Europe. On the other hand, the U.S. is our strategic partner, which also means NATO. We should mind our own business and not take sides," Filipov, president of the Council of Ambassadors of North Macedonia, told reporters.

Asked about the strong policies the U.S. President has announced, the Ambassador says the same happened during the previous term but expects the situation to calm down as time goes by.

"You can see that the most powerful U.S. businessmen were around him and they provide input as well. Europe can also enforce tariffs, ban Facebook or X, so there is no sense in the U.S. 'going into war' with Europe, because it wants the same with China and Russia as well. That would be too much. I believe that Europe and the United States will continue to be allies," said Filipov, who has served as the country's ambassador in Germany and Austria.

Regarding North Macedonia's actions in case of U.S. tariffs, considering the country's 100-percent alignment with EU's common foreign and security policy, Ambassador Muhamed Halili said Washington is a strategic partner while adding that the U.S.-Europe relationship "does not concern us because the country is not a member of the Union".

"We are not a full-fledged member, only a candidate. The fact that the EU is inviting us on numerous events is an entirely different issue," said Halili, a former ambassador to Belgium.

Ambassador Nano Ruzhin expects the Macedonian economy to share the destiny with the rest of the world if Trump's tariff threat materializes.

"Considering our efforts to join the EU and the strategic partnership with the U.S., I think that Trump's economic interests exceed them both. That is why I believe our economy will share the destiny with the EU and the rest of the world if tariffs are imposed. In other words, our leaders, primarily our diplomacy, will have to show great wisdom and skill to sail between these two big challenges. On one hand, we have to maintain our course to the EU, while on the other we have to continue to foster ties with the U.S. In conclusion, let me say that when it comes to Trump, expect to see things that you do not expect to happen," said Ruzhin.

On the visit of the country's top officials to Washington, he said it is a good move but is not optimistic that the U.S. can help, having in mind Brussels' strong stance on the constitutional amendments and unblocking of the country's EU path.

"Any move to get closer to the U.S. is a good one, because Trump may not know it but his administration will be briefed by the Embassy here that our PM headed a delegation to Washington. I don't believe anything significant will happen at this time because Trump is currently working on global issues. Maybe in a few years, but I am a pessimist on this issue, because the EU is firm in its position over the adoption of the constitutional amendments if we want to continue with the accession negotiations," said Ruzhin, a former ambassador to NATO.

He noted that one should be a realist when it comes to the option of delayed enforcement of the constitutional amendments, saying it "is not possible at this time".

"I would love to see this happen but we should be realists. I don't believe this is possible right now. Let me share something on this. Macron's former top adviser Alexandre Adam is currently the second man in the team of European Commission President (Ursula von der Leyen). He is pushing this agenda, so it would be difficult to see EU backing down on this issue," said Ruzhin.

Regarding the possibility of the new Bulgarian government changing its positions, the ambassador said "we do not have a problem with Bulgaria but the EU, so the issue concerns the Union and our country".

The ambassadors took part in an EU-supported workshop themed "Dialogue with Civil Society for Changes in Western Balkans", hosted by the Council of Ambassadors of North Macedonia and the Albanian counterpart institution, alongside partnership organizations - Atlantic Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Institute on Sustainable Democratic Development from Kosovo and New Horizon from Montenegro.

Photo: Screenshot/MIA file photo