Skopje, 17 March 2023 (MIA) - Good relations among neighbours and regional cooperation remain essential elements of the enlargement process. If the Western Balkans countries have to become members of the European Union, it is good, it is necessary, that they have among them good relations and good regional cooperation, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell after meeting the President Stevo Pendarovski on Friday.

At the meeting, they discussed the next high level meeting of the Belgrade Pristina dialogue, which is EU coordinated, that will take place tomorrow in Ohrid.

At the meeting, we devoted a lot of time on a topic related to tomorrow’s meeting negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina in Ohrid, because it is an extremely important regional issue that has been on the entire Western Balkan agenda for many years and the resolution of which can only help to bring the whole region, not only the parties involved, towards the Euro-Atlantic associations, Pendarovski said.

“For us, it is extremely significant that this important working session of the negotiations is taking place in our country, specifically in Ohrid, because Mr. Borrell mentioned it, maybe he will repeat it, it is a sign that the Republic of North Macedonia has made difficult compromises in the meantime, it has shown atypical Balkan behavior and in the past years it has been functioning as a true multi-ethnic democracy, which is a rarity even in the wider contexts. We perceive this as recognition of what has been achieved in the past period and of course as an incentive for the domestic political forces to continue with the reforms, with the European reforms, in order to become a full and formal member of the European Union as quickly as possible,” Pendarovski noted.

Borrell thanked North Macedonia for providing the venue for this important high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

“I want to thank you, I want to thank North Macedonia, for providing the venue for this important meeting, for your overall support to the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. And I hope that the beautiful landscape of Ohrid will create the nice atmosphere necessary to reach agreement,” Borrell said.

He underlined that three weeks ago, in Brussels, Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić agreed on the European Union’s proposal. A proposal tabled by the European Union, with the strong support of France, Germany, Italy and the United States. They agreed that this proposal will be the path to normalisation of relations between them.

They also agreed that we would meet again soon to finalise the implementation Annex. An agreement is good, an implementation path is better. And this meeting that we agreed, is going to take place tomorrow in Ohrid, in order to define the practical steps that have to be followed - in concrete timelines, what needs to be done, by when and how.

Both sides have provided comments on the Implementation Annex. We will discuss tomorrow, and we will produce a consolidated version of the Annex based on their feedback. And then, I hope, Kosovo and Serbia will be able to agree on the final result of these discussions. 

"I am going to Ohrid with the hope of facing a unique opportunity for Kosovo and Serbia to move forward, and to make progress to normalise their relation. Mr President, in your presence, I want to underline that this opportunity should be used – because no one stands to benefit from it more than people in Serbia and Kosovo, as no one is benefiting from the necessary reforms to be a part of the European Union, [as much] as the citizens of the countries which are today candidates. And there are opportunities that should not be lost. And today, the eyes of the European Union and the Western Balkans people are looking to Ohrid," Borrell noted.