Skopje, 18 November 2021 (MIA) – Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski is attending on Thursday, at the invitation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Security, Selmo Cikotić, the Sarajevo Migration Dialogue ministerial conference on managing migration and the Western Balkans’ response. Interior Ministers from EU member states, as well as from the Schengen Area and Western Balkan countries are also taking part in the conference, as are representatives from EU and US institutions and agencies. Minister Spasovski, the Ministry of Interior said in a press release, underlined at the event the need for more coordinated and comprehensive cooperation at operative level, with the aim of successfully managing migration. “The main migration challenges in North Macedonia remain the same and include prevention of illegal migration from south to north, as well as secondary movement from north to south, identification of migrants and their successful return to their country of origin or the country from which they entered North Macedonia,” Spasovski said. A lot of migrants who can’t be identified, the Minister stressed, present a potential security risk, adding that in order to efficiently deal with such risk, we must know who enters our territory. “Therefore, identification of illegal migrants is crucial. In that regard, establishing a network for identification of illegal migrants in the region will help prevent and fight terrorism and violent extremism and especially uncover the connection between foreign terrorists and illegal migration, as a way to efficiently prevent radicalization of migrants who transit the region,” Spasovski noted. The Minister also highlighted the need for more coordinated and comprehensive cooperation at operative level, that is, the need for joint approach of all countries, relevant EU and EC agencies and international organizations. He added that a joint approach entails regular exchange of information, as well as risk analysis, coordination of national activities, etc. “At the moment, cooperation and coordination in these areas is at an enviable level, having in mind that some countries are members of the EU and/or the Schengen Area, while others aren’t, which leads to certain legal limitations and inability to use all available EU mechanisms. We need to develop a joint concept and method that will allow us constantly monitor and efficiently manage the situation, as well as to quickly react to its sudden deterioration,” Minister Spasovski added. At conference’s sidelines, the press release read, Minister Spasovski is set to hold a bilateral meeting with of the Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina Selmo Cikotić.