Bratislava, 12 May 2026 (MIA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski participated Tuesday at a ministerial meeting of the “Friends of Western Balkans” group held in Bratislava.

The group is composed of Italy, Austria, Greece, Czechia, Slovakia, Croatia, and Slovenia, and was established with the goal of accelerating the accession process and the integration of Western Balkan countries in the European Union.

“The meeting exchanged views on ongoing challenges faced by the EU’s enlargement policy in the current geopolitical context, strategic cooperation with the region, economic development, and security. Discussions were dominated by firm support for a new, strengthened dynamic of the accession process, as well as the need for brave and strategic decisions in relation to the enlargement of the European Union,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said in a press release. 

At the meeting, Minister Mucunski highlighted the importance of accelerating the enlargement process, with a particular emphasis on the need to eliminate obstacles to trade with the European Union, in the context of European regulations that slow down access to the internal market of the Union.

Mucunski also noted that the concept of gradual integration should be further upgraded with new initiatives that will enable more active participation of the countries of the region in the European Union’s policymaking and bring direct benefits to the citizens.

Mucunski placed a special emphasis on the country’s Euro-integration, the Growth Plan, and the commitment to reforms as a prerequisite for the use of new funds from the EU.

The Foreign Minister spoke about the country’s infrastructure projects, stressing that the Republic of North Macedonia represents an intersection of pan-European corridors VIII and X, which hold significant economic, security, and geostrategic importance for the region and Europe.

Photo: MFAFT