site.btaSlovak President in Skopje: EU Enlargement to Western Balkans Boosts European Stability

The enlargement of the European Union to include the Western Balkans is a way to strengthen stability across Europe, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said during his official visit to the Republic of North Macedonia. 

"You have really come a long way. I know how difficult it was to resolve the name issue. I will be honest – the EU is making a big mistake by constantly setting new conditions. Your country has been part of the accession negotiations for 20 years and has made many difficult decisions, and there is still no answer as to when it will become a full member," Pellegrini said at a joint news conference with North Macedonia's President, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. "The EU is taking a risk with this process. Slovakia stands firmly by your side and supports you in every possible way, because we believe the EU’s future lies in enlargement and this includes security, especially in this region," he added. 

Pellegrini noted that Slovakia is a strong supporter of North Macedonia’s integration into the EU. "The EU must not abuse your country's accession process for its own internal issues," he added. "That is a serious political mistake. Countries like yours have the capacity to implement reforms and progress chapter by chapter. The enlargement process must be based on technical readiness, not geopolitical calculations," the Slovak President said. He said that he cannot accept double standards, and that is why he criticizes the EU.

Both Presidents agreed that EU enlargement must be grounded in the Copenhagen criteria and based on merit and results, not on additional and irrational political conditioning, Siljanovska-Davkova said.

She emphasized that North Macedonia's foreign and security policy is fully aligned with that of the EU, and that the country actively contributes to collective and regional security. The President added that greater cooperation, mutual trust, and solidarity are needed not only within the EU and NATO but also in the broader context of the United Nations.

Asked about Slovakia’s stance on a proposal to end unanimous decision-making in the EU regarding candidate negotiations, Pellegrini said that Slovakia supports maintaining each Member State's right to a veto.

Pellegrini was received in North Macedonia with the highest state and military honours. Following a tete-a-tete meeting between Pellegrini and Siljanovska-Davkova and talks between the two delegations, North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mucunski, and Slovakia’s State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Vladimir Simonak, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of economy, North Macedonia's President’s Office said.