Kumanovo, 4 July 2025 (MIA) - Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski and his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dačić promoted Friday the launch of the “One Stop” joint border controls system at the Tabanovce border crossing with Serbia.

At the event the two ministers signed the protocol on conducting border controls at the crossings, they also signed a protocol on cooperating during the summer and winter tourism seasons regulating the exchange of police officers to assist in tourist areas and events based on the need.

The joint border control system will make it possible for passengers to cross the border while only undergoing checks on one side of the border.

“Today we are officially launching the system. I am confident that it will reduce waiting time and accelerate the transfer of passengers on the border. In addition to signing a protocol which outlined all the details about the functioning of the joint border controls, we also signed the protocol that would enable the exchange of police officers within tourism centers based on the need during certain seasons. To avoid signing separate agreements and protocols, within a single general protocol we defined our cooperation. Additionally, we also discussed joint assistance related to any emergency in Serbia and Macedonia,” Toshkovski said. 

Serbia’s Interior Minister Dačić said the cooperation between the two interior ministries is exceptional, noting that they want to expand it to cover emergency situations, such as wildfires. The Minister also stressed that “good results” have been achieved in the fight against illegal migration.

“Serbia’s border with North Macedonia is the busiest point when it comes to illegal migration. In the first six months, we have registered a 26 percent decrease in illegal crossings compared to the same period last year,” Dačić said.

Photo: MIA