• Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Details on signing Frontex agreement being discussed

Details on signing Frontex agreement being discussed
Skopje, 19 October 2022 (MIA) - We are still discussing details on when and where the agreement between the Republic of North Macedonia and the European Union would be signed over operational activities undertaken by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in North Macedonia, Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski told reporters on Wednesday. Asked whether the agreement would be signed tomorrow, Spasovski said that as soon as they have all the details, they will inform the public, because it is surely one of the most important documents that will be signed. The Government reviewed and adopted Tuesday the report by the Ministry of Interior on the harmonized text of the agreement between the Republic of North Macedonia and the European Union over operational activities undertaken by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in North Macedonia, and accepted the text. The agreement creates the necessary legal prerequisites enabling direct cooperation between the competent authorities of the two contracting parties, in situations when members of the Frontex team have executive powers at the territory of North Macedonia, and in the context of managing migration flows and uprooting of illegal migration and cross-border crime in North Macedonia, the Government said in a press release. The Council adopted a decision on Oct. 13 to sign an agreement on border management cooperation between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and North Macedonia. It also agreed to send the draft decision on the conclusion of the agreement to the European Parliament for its consent. The agreement will be translated into 25 languages, including Macedonian, and delivered to the European Union member states. “The EU and the Western Balkans share common migratory challenges and the only way to address these is through joint action. The agreement with North Macedonia is an important step in this close cooperation. It will allow Frontex to provide concrete support on the ground, to the benefit of both North Macedonia and EU countries,” said Vít Rakušan, Minister of the Interior of Czech Republic.