Skopje, 3 August 2026 (MIA)

Neda DIMOVA PROKIKJ

In an interview with MIA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski underscores that the Government is working on a lasting and sustainable solution to unblock the country’s European path, but says he would not like to share details so as not to doom the talks to failure. The Minister adds that the Government is following the position of the citizens on the issue and has clearly drawn red lines, positions, and issues it is not prepared to negotiate.

“We are working on a solution, but I will repeat, not a solution at any cost, and not a solution that, in itself, will be unsustainable and will create the risk of us ending up right back in the situation we are in now,” Mucunski tells MIA.

Regarding the strategic partnership with the United States and the recent meeting in Washington with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, Mucunski says one of the topics discussed was opening the process of negotiations with the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program.

“I would like to clearly state that this is not an overnight process, but rather these will be multi-year negotiations. On our side, we are already preparing the working group that will represent us in that process and we expect to officially begin talks in the near future,” the Foreign Minister tells MIA. 

In recent months, we have witnessed an expansion of initiatives in the form of non-papers regarding the course of enlargement. First was the Summit in Tivat, followed by two non-papers, one by Merz and Macron, which proposes gradual integration. Recently, a non-paper appeared from the “Friends of Enlargement" group of countries, which is slightly different from the first. How do you comment on all these documents? 

As a candidate country and a country from a region whose shared goal is to join the European Union, we are pleased by the fact that the enlargement policy is regaining heightened importance not only within the European Union institutions, but also among the member states. This is very significant because for a long period everyone talked about enlargement, but in practice, nothing was being done. Now, the reasons why this situation arose are of a geostrategic nature and are truly regrettable. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian aggression against Ukraine has imposed a heightened importance on the enlargement policy. However, regardless of how this situation came about, we must, both as a region and individually as countries, make use of these opportunities. Also, it is a fact, as you say, that lately there has been a hyper-production of non-papers. Alongside these documents, there are other documents being released, initiatives by member states, certain institutions, and even the think-tank community, which offer opinions and views on how enlargement policy should be structured so that it is adaptable both to the current internal development of the European Union and to the various sensitivities that exist among both candidate countries and member states regarding enlargement policy. 

The positive thing that we should see is that everyone has clearly emphasized to us that the enlargement policy will not be dimensioned in such a way that these processes are viewed as alternatives to enlargement. The objective of full membership remains for all candidate countries, while modernizing the gradual integration policy so that, until the moment of full membership, candidate countries can utilize certain opportunities. To put it simply, that is the discussion currently taking place. We consider it positive. When our input is requested, we provide it, but the final decision is certainly not ours. We are not a member state of the European Union. The final decision on all these issues rests with the European institutions together with the member states. 

Work is being done under the radar to find a solution to pave the way for negotiations. Can we expect a shift, and if so, when? 

From the moment this Government was formed in 2024, from the very first moment, we have been working on a solution because we do not have the luxury of time to wait for someone else to resolve the challenges placed before us. Is it fair that we constantly face unfair challenges of a bilateral nature? No, it is not fair, but we also have a reality we must live with. 

The difference between this Government and previous governments is that we are not prepared to make concessions on issues related to identity, history, language, and culture, and that is why we often speak about the fact that talks are taking place. We must not share the details of those talks because if we start sharing them with the public, we doom them to failure. However, citizens should rest assured that our Government clearly knows how it gained its legitimacy, clearly follows the position of the citizens on this issue, and has clearly drawn red lines, positions, and issues on which it is not prepared to negotiate. So, we are working on a solution, but I will repeat, not a solution at any cost, and not a solution that, in itself, will be unsustainable and will create the risk of us ending up right back in the situation we are in now. 

In this context, have you initiated any meetings with your Bulgarian counterpart Velislava Petrova to restore trust? 

I initiated the first meeting that happened in Sweden at the sidelines of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers. On our side, our President initiated the meeting that took place some time ago with the President of Bulgaria, Ms. Iotova. And we will continue to initiate meetings in the future, above all, aimed at topics of bilateral nature. We also have issues we have to address which are not related to the unblocking of our accession process. In the next few months there will also be several opportunities for us to meet in various multilateral formats, so, there are no dilemmas that we will be proactive. We will work to find a solution alongside our European partners, but I will repeat, not at any cost. 

EU Ambassador Rokas said last week that the country has demonstrated a capacity to implement reforms, but that three areas are key for progress, the most important of which is the rule of law. How do you assess the progress in this area? 

First, I would say that our country, especially over the past year, has made significant progress in implementing the Reform Agenda, and you shared the view of the EU Ambassador. But the facts also speak for themselves, because there are reports prepared by the European Commission, and the country receives direct funding through the Growth Plan both for projects and for direct budget support based on implemented reforms. So it is not my subjective view that we are successful in implementing reforms, but objectively that is how the European Commission evaluates us as well. And I am convinced that even after the end of this reporting period, which passed a few weeks ago, we will remain a leader, but challenges also remain, as do priorities determined for the period ahead. Some of those priorities are related to the rule of law, the reform of the judicial system, and the reform of the public administration, where significant efforts are being made to implement those reforms. 

However, regarding judicial reform and the rule of law, I want to emphasize here that it is not solely what the executive branch can do, nor is it solely what Parliament can do. There is a shared responsibility regarding how those laws, initiated by the Government and passed by the Parliament, will be implemented by the judicial institutions. 

So, we as a Government will work to create the best possible conditions both in terms of financing the judiciary and in terms of the need to strengthen the required personnel, and here we are not talking solely about new judicial or prosecutorial staff, but also about professional associates and more administrative personnel. Appropriate laws will be passed, there is a precise plan and a truly ambitious agenda at the Ministry of Justice, but a lot also depends on all other stakeholders in that system regarding how successful we will be in the judicial reform and improving the situation related to the rule of law. 

That is why I say it depends on all of us. We are one of the key stakeholders as a Government, but I will repeat, we are not the sole stakeholder, and we should all be up to the task. To cooperate, to provide remarks when needed, but also to work on implementing all these measures that are being adopted, some of them as laws, some as strategies, and other legal documents. 

The opposition is accusing of stagnation and lack of progress toward EU membership. But moving forward in the EU accession process requires political consensus, the EU Ambassador also mentioned this as one of the key conditions. Is it achievable? 

Nearly five years ago, on July 29, 2021, in Parliament we achieved a political consensus with a resolution concerning the country's positions related to national interest. Here we meant identity, historical, and other issues. If you remember, we voted for that resolution with near consensus, but within a few months, the DUI and SDSM government at the time trampled on that consensus. If you ask me whether we need a consensus, there is no doubt we do. But the opposition must first start living within the realm of reality, and the reality is that its concessions and lack of capacity to foresee the long-term consequences of what was happening in 2021 and 2022 led us to the position we are in now. They have a legitimate right, I would say for almost everything, to offer criticism and a position. That is the function of the opposition in a parliamentary democracy, to provide criticism, to provide input. But in the area of foreign policy, I believe they should apologize to the citizens for all the mistakes they made during their seven-year rule and give unreserved support to the Government so that it can restore the country's positions and work on creating a system where we will finally have predictability on the European path. 

Is the country regressing on the European path? It is legitimate to divide the question into two parts. First is what we are doing of a strategic nature in terms of internal reforms. The EU Ambassador also said and the upcoming report from the European Commission will also show, that the country is progressing in terms of reforms. The European Union emphasizes that as a country it praises our strategic orientation - we are a country with a fully aligned common foreign and security policy, the first country in the region to sign a defense and security partnership with the European Union, and a country that knows where it is leading its foreign policy. But it is true, the challenge with Bulgaria remains for us. An artificially created challenge, among other things, created so that two political parties could stay in power, as they conceded to everything demanded of them, and that is what we are working to resolve. In the meantime, until this issue is resolved, we will be the best possible candidate and we are on the right path in that sense. 

They claim the opposite, that this was a good proposal. 

If a proposal is good, not everyone will have a different interpretation of what our obligations under it are. Instead we will have a clear picture of what is expected of our country. Because today, opposition representatives at home tell us, "the constitutional amendments are the only thing being asked of us," while in bilateral meetings with official representatives of Bulgaria, we are first informed that the constitutional amendments are not the only thing demanded of us, but various concessions are also demanded, including concessions of a historical nature. Also, it is pointed out to us that this is not just about their interpretation, but also about promises made by high-ranking representatives of the previous government. Some of those people who are now in leadership positions in Bulgaria, in foreign policy, were in leadership positions during that period and they remember exactly what was promised to them. So, these people from the opposition, and here I am referring collectively to representatives of both DUI and SDSM, have either forgotten what they did during that period of 2021 and 2022, or they want to manipulate the domestic Macedonian public for cheap political points, while simultaneously undermining the state's positions. That is why I say it is legitimate to criticize everything you think you should, but at least in the field of foreign policy, where you suffered a terrible debacle, allow this Government to continue doing what it is doing, because we must also be objective in noting that we hear different messages from high-ranking representatives of EU member states, indicating that some additional commitments should be undertaken toward our country to guarantee the predictability of our European path. 

On September 30, the European Commission is expected to come out with a report on the new approach to enlargement. Can we expect to see our European path unblocked? 

These are several documents that are being prepared. What we are expecting is a much clearer development of the gradual integration policy. 

Meaning the economic market? 

No, the economic market is one of these elements, but it is not the only one being discussed. There are other matters as well, but I think I do not have the luxury to speculate at this moment. But I would say is that the initial information we have is that this will be something that will be welcome for the candidate countries. But, again, I am saying this with a slight reservation, because we should wait for the final outcome. 

You recently visited the United States and had a meeting with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, which you assessed as a significant step in advancing the strategic partnership between Macedonia and the U.S. What specifically did you discuss and what can we expect to be the next step in this strategic partnership? 

The strategic partnership with the United States is one of the three fundamental pillars of our foreign policy. And this is also the case due to historical reasons, but also in line with the need for the country to build long-term relations shaped for the time we live in. If you remember, a few months ago we were the first country in Europe to hold a strategic dialogue with the United States in Washington. Within the strategic dialogue, we first analyzed everything that has been achieved in recent years, but we also established clear plans on how to advance our cooperation looking forward. We discussed many concrete projects, some of them in defense and security, others in digitization. Some of them are significant projects for our economy as well, for our trade relations and our relations in the field of energy.  

One of the topics we discussed and is gaining momentum is the opening of the process of negotiations with the United States on the so-called Visa Waiver Program. I would like to clearly state that this is not an overnight process, but rather these will be multi-year negotiations. On our side, we are already preparing the working group that will represent us in that process and we expect to officially begin talks in the near future. 

This is something that interests the citizens a lot. 

Definitely. Among other things we also signed an agreement on the Global Entry program, and I expect us to conclude this much faster. What will this mean? It will mean that our citizens will have access to a U.S. program for reliable partners, i.e., everyone who has a U.S. visa and passes the Global Entry program checks won’t have to wait in line upon entry in the United States. But, the Visa Waiver Program is also our mabition. We are already communicating with our partners in the U.S. and we have established the working group. I will repeat, this is a process that will last several years, but we would like to see it end successfully. 

I would now move on to foreign trade. A large delegation from India headed by President Droupadi Murmu paid a visit to the country last week. Interest for cooperation in several areas was expressed at the business forum, as well as a commitment for larger trade. Is there anything concrete on the horizon resulting from the visit? 

The first thing I would like to say is that this really was a historic visit, and also a significant political but also economic message by India. India is a country that all countries in the world currently aim to cooperate with more, since it has an enormous population, but also because it is recording significant progress in several areas, including artificial intelligence. The European Union is working on its trade relations with India at a heightened pace. A few months ago President Costa and Commission President von der Leyen visited India, where they announced several historic trade agreements between India and the European Union. So, since the European Union is our market, and it is working on strengthening its economic and trade relations with India, it is natural that we would also work on this. 

I would particularly like to commend the skill of President Siljanovska-Davkova who managed not only to invite but also to convince the President of India to come to our country alongside a large business delegation. In the last few years, we have recorded significant growth in trade with India, but we believe the potential is enormous. 

And for us the most important aspect was the presence of representatives from India’s chambers of commerce and representatives of businesses which networked with our companies, since a G2G engagement between governments shows that the countries want to cooperate, a G2B engagement also sends clear signals on what businesses in a country look like and what the opportunities are. But a B2B engagement is crucial for us, to have companies cooperate, look for future projects, opening new markets, to see an investment potential in each other. I think we laid a stable foundation in that sense and in the coming period we will continue at the same pace to see tangible projects from the initiative that was shown. However, the fact we were chosen as one of the three countries in this European tour of the Indian President is by itself a clear signal that India sees potential in the Macedonian market, just as we see enormous potential in the Indian market. 

Were there discussions about opening an embassy in Skopje? 

We have had an Embassy in India for quite some time and one of the topics that the President of the country, but also Prime Minister Mickoski raised in their bilateral talks with the Indian President was the topic of opening an Indian Embassy in Skopje. 

The country’s investment opportunities were presented several times in the United Arab Emirates. Which other countries will be seen as a priority when attracting foreign direct investments? Which sectors have the greatest potential for export and attracting investments? 

This is a very good question, because we are constantly talking about investments, but your conclusion that we need to work on promoting exports is also good. Too few of our companies are export-oriented and we have significant potential in this field. As an institution too, we have placed a significant focus on this recently, working on this in a coordinated approach with the economic chambers which are really engaged and are helping us. Our first target are our traditional trade partners – the countries of the region, the European Union, the EU member states as our traditional trade partners, the United States. But we also have to open ourselves up to new markets, and here we are thinking of the countries of the Arabian Gulf. We visited the United Arab Emirates on several occasions, and a few weeks ago I visited Qatar, another country we have enormous potential with across several industries. In the coming period, we are planning similar visits, coordinated with representatives of the economic chambers, to Morocco and Egypt. So, we will continue looking for new markets as well. 

The number of ambassadorial posts is being filled. Is there a plan to open a new embassy by the end of the year or next year, as well as to strengthen the country’s diplomatic presence in regions where it is not represented?   

The process of appointing ambassadors and consuls is a dynamic process because some mandates are constantly ending and new ones are being appointed, and of course, it is a process on which we are constantly working in coordination with the Prime Minister and the President of the country. Our goal is, if everything goes according to the timeline we have foreseen, to open with certainty two, and perhaps three, new diplomatic and consular missions by the end of this year. So, key for us is the opening of the new embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania. Why is it crucial for us to do this as quickly as possible? Because starting January 1st of next year, Lithuania takes over the presidency of the European Union. Furthermore, I expect that within a few months we will also open the Consulate General in Korçë, Albania. This is very significant so that the Macedonian national minority located in that part of the territory of Albania can receive consular services as well as other types of services from our diplomatic-consular mission. Additionally, we have the ambition in the coming period to open our embassy in Saudi Arabia as well. So I would say these are our three priorities regarding the expansion of the network of diplomatic and consular missions, and we are doing this for strategic reasons: Lithuania because it is the largest and one of the most influential countries in the Baltics, and we need a strengthened diplomatic presence there; Korçë because of the Macedonian national minority in Albania; and Saudi Arabia, I would say, for strategic, economic, and trade reasons. So, the reasons vary. Will other countries open diplomatic-consular missions in our country? I could not answer that, because the right to decide which country, where, and when they will open a diplomatic mission rests inherently with them. So, unfortunately, I cannot be the one to answer that question. 

Are there plans for any initiatives to advance cultural diplomacy and strengthen Macedonian identity abroad? 

Definitely, and we are working on several such initiatives already with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, but there are also initiatives we are working on with the Agency for Emigration, and several Macedonian culture days were held in the past year in several countries. One such successful Macedonian culture day was held in Brussels a few months ago, where, apart from the expected information we received about a wonderful concert by our jazz orchestra, I also received messages from friends in Brussels who I did not even know would attend the event. What I want to say is this event really got a broader, commercial scale. We have several activities planned with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other institutions for next year. Including, if the plan remains unchanged, a promotion of Macedonian art in Vienna in 2027.  

How far ahead is the adoption of the National Strategy for Cooperation with the Diaspora? 

This is a document that is already active and implemented. It was drafted alongside representatives of the diaspora, and we are already working on its implementation. But what is very important for us in terms of the diaspora is that this remains dynamic. That we have increasingly greater communication. That is why whenever I have bilateral visits to countries, I personally insist on meeting with representatives of our diaspora and hearing about their challenges and ideas, but also the input they can provide in various areas of society. 

At the end I would like to ask you about your activities planned for the coming period. 

In the period ahead, we have a very busy schedule of activities planned once again. First, at the end of August, after a very long hiatus, we are holding an Ambassadors’ Council. All our ambassadors and consuls will be here in the country, where they will have the opportunity to hear firsthand from the country’s highest representatives – primarily the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament – regarding the country’s positions, views, and priorities for the coming period. We will have a productive joint coordination session. Next, we have an upcoming visit from the Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Petr Macinka. After that, I have a scheduled bilateral visit to Ukraine. I will also be accompanying Prime Minister Mickoski, who will lead our delegation to the United Nations General Assembly. This will be followed by several other activities, so, both through the autumn and the winter, we have a really dynamic and active agenda lined up in the fields of both foreign policy and foreign trade. 

Photo: Slobodan Gjurikj

Video: Asllan Vishko, Vladimir Rabasovikj