New York, 23 September 2025 (MIA) – What the United Nations is to the world, the European Union is to Europe - a multilateral project with one ultimate goal - peace on the continent. It achieves this through enlargement based on the Copenhagen criteria - democracy, the rule of law, human rights and freedoms, and market economy, President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said addressing the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, held in New York on Tuesday. 

She noted that the EU, as a regional, European embodiment of multilateralism, has an obligation to defend multilateralism impartially and consistently, MIA reports from New York.

"The European Union cannot defend multilateralism in the world if it betrays it on its own continent. Enlargement is not a technical issue, but a test of whether the EU will choose the path of concordia or discordia, whether it will be a Union of rules and standards, or a Union of double standards and contradictions," the President said. 

She pointed out that if the Western Balkan region wants to become a member of the EU, countries in the region have to support each other.  

"If the region wants to become a member of the EU, we have to support each other, to understand each other. How can we expect to be understood by those in the EU if we are not ready to support each other. We have to understand each other, try to do what Sweden, Norway and Finland did for the Baltic states. They were the most supportive and the result is obvious. But, our neighbours very often use veto, the membership in the EU can be given not only after completing the negotiations but also there is a need for consensus, so if only one member is sgainst, you cannot become a member of the EU," said Siljanovska-Davkova.

According to her, this is a right time to change the decision-making procedure in the EU, as recently the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stressed, said Siljanovska-Davkova. But, she noted, there is also a need for consensus to introduce consensus for enlargement. 

"And then, there is a problem. We are stuck. We could do whatever we want in economy, in social matters, education, in ecology... But, our position depends on our neighbours," the President said.

She reiterated the need to support each other in the region. 

"All of us have responsibility towards the region. I think that bilateralization is really a threatening instrument. What is happening with us now, or the Macedonian experience, we could expect to be done by another country. So, I think that at this momentum, the most important also for European countries is to become aware that the question of enlargement is not just a question of bigger EU, but a question of even security of the region. So, as soon as possible we have to become members of the EU. I think that this is really the momentum that has to be used, not only by the states in the Western Balkans, but also by the EU. This is the last momentum to be understood and to become a member of EU, " Siljanovska-Davkova said. 

As part of her visit to the United States, on Tuesday, the President will also address the World Leaders Forum at Columbia University. Siljanovska-Davkova will also attend a reception hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Photo: MIA