site.btaNorth Macedonia President on Aqaba Process Summit in Sofia: When We Live Together, We See We Are Not So Different

Commenting on her participation in the Aqaba Process for the Balkans III summit meeting in Sofia on Friday, President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova told reporters that living together helps overcome prejudice and that extremism and terrorism remain serious threats to the Balkans. She noted the misuse of the term "fundamentalism" and stressed the importance of teaching shared religious values like peace and respect from an early age.

"Parallel worlds create and deepen differences and prejudice, and when we live together, we see that we are not that different," she argued.

Siljanovska-Davkova highlighted the risks of radicalization, particularly among youth in unstable regions, and pointed out that the tools that extremists use, such as social media, are often more sophisticated than state counter-terrorism mechanisms. She praised the Aqaba Process, initiated by King Abdullah II of Jordan, for fostering regional and international cooperation on security issues.

North Macedonia's President also stressed the importance of joint efforts to combat radical ideologies without ethnic or religious discrimination. She warned against labelling groups and called for equal justice and protection of all lives.

Initiated in 2015, the Aqaba Process promotes dialogue and coordination on security through informal meetings involving countries, institutions, and NGOs, focusing on different regions globally. The Aqaba Process for the Balkans III forum was hosted by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The event focused on security issues with an emphasis on Southeast Europe. Analyzed were the security architecture of the Balkans, regional mechanisms for information exchange, and coordinated efforts in combating illegal migration, terrorism, radicalization, and extremism, particularly in the context of challenges arising from military conflicts in neighboring regions. Discussions also addressed opportunities for cooperation to counter radicalization among young people and in the online space, as well as risks linked to the use of artificial intelligence.