Skopje, 16 December 2024 (MIA) - President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova met Monday with the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Lord Stuart Peach.

According to the President’s Office, the meeting was held in the spirit of longstanding friendship between the two countries, with a focus on bilateral ties, cooperation within NATO and the EU integration process. 

“Stressing the country’s clear strategic goal for accession into the European family. The President underscored the commitment to a consistent implementation of European criteria. Emphasizing the need for EU integration to be based on a constructive approach and mutual good will, she noted that the accession process has been burdened by ceaseless demands and challenges that obstruct the country’s candidacy and burden the people,” the President’s Office said in a press release.

In that context, according to the press release, the President noted that the bilateralization of the enlargement process is a harmful precedent for all candidate countries and that the country’s identity has already been defined, noting that negotiating it is contrary to the fundamental European principles and values.

The President underscored the United Kingdom’s important role in securing stability and security in the region and thanked for the continued support for the Macedonian aspirations for EU accession. 

Lord Peach highlighted the country’s role as a significant partner in the NATO alliance. In the context of developments in Europe and the region, he voiced concern over the rise of nationalist rhetoric in the region and stressed the need for reconciliation and dialogue in a turbulent era and war in Europe.  

At the meeting, Siljanovska-Davkova and Peach exchanged views on key security issues in the region and Europe, as well as the impact of geopolitical trends in international relations on the region, the President’s Office said. 

Photo: Presidential Office