Cetinje, 12 April 2022 (MIA) – Relations between North Macedonia and Montenegro are excellent, and it is our task to maintain this high level, for our people to continue the close ties in the future. Promoting economic cooperation should be a top priority, President Stevo Pendarovski and his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Đukanović told a joint press conference in Podgorica on Tuesday. Pendarovski, who is paying a first official visit to Montenegro, said talks also tackled current developments in the region, and interlocutors agreed that in the light of the war in Ukraine, a different dynamics can be seen, MIA reports. “Today, when we are witnessing the hostilities of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we believe that it should be a turning point in the relations between the EU and the region. European integration is a process that enables profound transformation and reforms towards democratization of societies, and it is no coincidence that the European Union is a strategic goal of both North Macedonia and Montenegro. We particularly appreciate Montenegro’s principled position on the imposed obstacles on our European path, recognizing the risk for all of us from bringing bilateral issues in the European agenda,” Pendarovski said. The President stressed that the accession negotiations are a test for the European Union’s credibility. “Strategic decisions are needed immediately, otherwise the visible declining trends in citizens’ support for integration will become even stronger,” Pendarovski pointed out. In terms of economic cooperation, Pendarovski said the pandemic has undoubtedly burdened the economies, and the war in Ukraine has shown that despite the fact that the hostilities are taking place thousands of kilometers away from the region, the interdependence of global energy and basic commodities markets has a drastic impact on the region’s economies. “I’m glad that President Đukanović and I share similar views on the need for closer cooperation, in order to overcome more easily these common challenges. In this context, we discussed several issues in the area of bilateral relations, and together we concluded that promoting economic relations should be our top priority,” Pendarovski said. He noted that the two also discussed cooperation as part of NATO. “The Russian attack on Ukraine has very clearly confirmed the benefits of our membership in the Alliance. The horror we are seeing in Ukraine we thought was impossible on European soil after the terrible wars of the past century. Unfortunately, we’re witnessing the suffering of millions of citizens, a huge humanitarian and refugee crisis is unfolding before our eyes,” said Pendarovski. According to him, solidarity and even greater cooperation is needed to deal with the consequences of the Russian hostilities in Ukraine. “As part of NATO, we stand behind all its decisions, and as an EU candidate country, we’re hundred percent in line with the common European security and foreign policy. In that sense, we joined all EU sanctions to Russia,” said Pendarovski. Đukanović said North Macedonia was a partner in the wider context of Euro-Atlantic integration, and a country that represents European values. “It is a framework of our cooperation so far based on common values. North Macedonia and Montenegro take an uncompromising stance in advocating multiethnic democracy and European values. As a friendly country, Montenegro is aware of the problems North Macedonia is facing on its EU path. We applaud what North Macedonia has done in recent years after a long stalemate in the EU integration process, the sacrifice North Macedonia has made, and the constructive initiatives with the Prespa Agreement, which has accelerated EU integration,” said Đukanović. He expressed regret that North Macedonia was facing today another obstruction on the path to the European Union. “I hope the recent elections in Bulgaria have opened a perspective for an agreement, a clear and foreseeable perspective for North Macedonia. Montenegro has always openly advocated that the first step in intensifying the European agenda in the Western Balkans be start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania without delay. We believe this can already happen during the French EU Presidency, and Montenegro believes it will be a great contribution to the overall European perspective of the Western Balkans,” Đukanović pointed out. According to him, for a region like the Western Balkans, the impetus that needs to come from Brussels and other European political centers is extremely important. “The situation in Ukraine should contribute to a long-term commitment of European institutions to the issue of further EU enlargement, i.e. full unification including Western Balkan countries,” he said. The Montenegrin President expressed satisfaction with the current bilateral cooperation and political understanding. “There’s major capacity to promote bilateral cooperation, primarily in the area of economy,” Đukanović added.