Ohrid, 18 March 2023 (MIA) — We are politicians who make difficult but statesmanlike decisions. It is not easy because this means making concessions but we know they will lead to a better future for the current and the next generations, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski told the press in Ohrid, where he is hosting a high-level EU-mediated meeting as part of the Belgrade – Prishtina dialogue to normalize their bilateral relations.

In his address, PM Kovachevski urged President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti to have constructive negotiations. 

“Dialogue is the only tool for the region’s consolidation and the European integration of the two countries,” Kovachevski said, adding that resolving open issues was key for regional stability, peace and the prosperous future not only of Serbia and Kosovo but also of the entire region.

He said North Macedonia was a respected partner of the international community. 

“We proved to be a country that builds friendships,” Kovachevski said. “We are an example of good neighborliness. We strongly believe in dialogue as a civilized form of communication and the only path that leads to progress and development. Our strategic goal is to enter the EU together with all our neighbors.”

Recalling the agreements the country had signed — the Ohrid Agreement, the Prespa Agreement, and the Friendship Treaty — he said the agreements confirmed North Macedonia's European spirit.

“The government implements policies of solving and not policies of creating problems,” Kovachevski said. 

“The countries in the region have leaders who behave like Europeans and their countries deserve a European future,” he added.

“My vision is to see the Western Balkans developed, modern, integrated into the EU. It is our priority,” he said, pledging to do everything in his power to support this process. mr/