Skopje, 12 May 2026 (MIA) - North Macedonia remains fully committed to the European path despite the challenges and the standstill in the European integration process, says Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski in an interview with Euronews.

"We are a country that is proud of its pro-European orientation not in rhetoric only, but through values implemented in society," says FM Mucunski.

Mucunski says the region is faced with serious hybrid and malign influence, adding that such threats gain traction when frustration rises and trust diminishes.

"Although the threat is there, we have shown that we are resilient in practice not only in words," notes Mucunski.

The FM reaffirms the country's strategic commitment to European Union membership, saying European integration remains the key foreign policy priority and the best mechanism for long-term stability, security and development of the region.

Asked if a delay in the EU membership could push North Macedonia towards Russia or China, Mucunski said "hybrid threats thrive when frustration rises and trust diminishes."

He also referrs to the current security challenges, NATO's role and the significance of Euro-Atlantic coordination.

"I think that NATO is stronger than ever thanks to President Trump, State Secretary Rubio and the entire U.S. foreign policy apparatus," Mucunski told the "12 Minutes With" programme.

The FM adds this came as a result of last year's NATO Summit in The Hague, where members pledged to increase defense spending costs to five percent of the GDP by 2035.

"This is a very ambitious agenda but also one that is very necessary, considering not only the threats arising from the Russian aggression in Ukraine but also the threats in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East," says Mucunski and adds that President Trump gave NATO a "wake-up call."

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