Skopje, 27 September 2024 (MIA) – North Macedonia can count on the support of the United States in its attempt to break the blockade it is facing on its EU path, Alexander Kasanof, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Balkans in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said in a meeting with President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.

In the meeting, Kasanof thanked for the Macedonian military and technical support for Ukraine, thus confirming the country’s position as a credible partner of the United States and a NATO member, the President’s office said. 

The Macedonian President reiterated that the European Commission after 16 recommendations for the opening of Macedonian negotiations for EU membership should apply its own rules, based on the Copenhagen Criteria, being the only conditions for integration into the Union. 

Highlighting the importance of strategic partnership and friendship with the United States, Siljanovska Davkova said she expected Washington to strengthen its support to accelerate the opening of accession negotiations with the EU. It is in the interest of the two countries and the Western Balkan region, she said, the first chapters in the Macedonian negotiations with the EU to open soon and the United States to play a constructive role in the process, which is important also due to the global security challenges. Siljanovska Davkova also expressed hopes that the EU will start to respect its own decisions, suggesting that bilateral issues shouldn’t block the enlargement process. 

Photo: President's Office