Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Timčo Mucunski took part in the ministerial session “Geopolitical Turbulence: Central and Southeastern Europe in the World of Corridors, Security and Enlargement,” organised as part of the Bled Strategic Forum.

During his address, Mucunski spoke about current geopolitical developments and security challenges, the strategic role of transport corridors, the region’s resilience and the European path of the Western Balkans.

He stressed that NATO membership brings significant benefits through information sharing and joint resilience and deterrence policies. However, he assessed that the region continues to face security risks.

In this context, Mucunski mentioned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the influence and activities of China and Iran, as well as broader conventional and unconventional threats, including cyber influence and attempts at economic coercion.

He paid particular attention to the strategic value of Corridors VIII and X. According to him, our country is the only one in the region where these two corridors intersect, making transport and energy infrastructure directly important for economic, political and security resilience.

Speaking about European integration, Mucunski stressed that, alongside investments in infrastructure and regional connectivity, a clear political commitment to the enlargement of the European Union is also needed.

“If Europe wants to speak the language of geopolitics, then enlargement cannot be viewed through the logic of bureaucracy. A strategic vision is needed. When candidate countries make progress and are fully aligned with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, that progress must be visible,” Mucunski said.

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Timčo Mucunski, North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, said in an interview with Politico’s “Brussels Playbook” that his country deserves a credible, fair and predictable path toward full membership in the European Union.

According to the Politico article, the country has held EU candidate status since 2005 and is fully aligned with the Union’s foreign policy. However, two decades later, it is still waiting for accession negotiations to begin in earnest.

Mucunski acknowledged that the lack of political results has at times caused considerable frustration. He also said the country has become a “case study” in how bilateral disputes can block the European Union’s enlargement process.

Politico notes that other candidates have made progress: Montenegro is advancing rapidly toward membership, Albania has completed the first three negotiating chapters, while Ukraine and Moldova are moving forward in the negotiation process. Meanwhile, North Macedonia has not closed a single chapter in more than 20 years.

“To say that we have been treated unfairly is an understatement,” Mucunski said.

According to the minister, the proposal to amend the Constitution has become a politically toxic issue because “too many” concessions have been made. He added that Macedonians are tired of the “constant shifting of the goalposts” and do not believe that Bulgaria will refrain from making new demands.

“This is an absolute abuse of the position of a European Union member state,” Mucunski said.

He drew a parallel with relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom, saying that their complex differences might not have been overcome without shared membership in the European Union.

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Mucunski said after the talks that North Macedonia and the United States share similar positions on a range of issues of political, economic and security importance.

According to him, the discussion took place in an open, friendly and substantive atmosphere, while both sides reiterated their willingness to advance the strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the citizens of both countries.

The meeting focused on cooperation in defence and within the NATO alliance, as well as economic development, energy and regional connectivity, Mucunski said.

The sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Western Balkans, underlining the role of continued American engagement in preserving the region’s peace, stability and prosperity.

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Asked by “Lokalno” whether the ministry would investigate the possibility that the diplomatic note had come from North Macedonia’s embassy in Bulgaria, Mucunski said: “From an official standpoint, we have closed the topic with Sofia and are awaiting an appropriate response from their side. In my view, it is not in the spirit of friendship and good neighborly relations to say that this is old information; that is not good when it comes to diplomatic communication.”

Last week, Prime Minister Mickoski said he had informed NATO allies about the incident, because, according to him, it involved a case that compromised his security and that of his family.

In its initial response, official Sofia denied that the diplomatic note had been leaked from its Foreign Ministry, arguing that it concerned an event that had taken place some time ago. The case is linked to a trip by the Prime Minister’s wife in January of this year./Telegrafi/

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Mucunski said that over the past two years, the work has been guided by a clear vision, defined priorities, and the goal of strengthening the country’s international position, building more sustainable partnerships, and securing tangible benefits for citizens. According to him, it can now be said that a more active, more open, and more efficient diplomacy has been built.

In his address, he underlined that foreign policy has remained focused on three strategic pillars: a strong partnership with the United States, full alignment with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and active participation in the NATO Alliance.

“These are the pillars of stability, security, and predictability. These are the pillars of a state that knows where it belongs and knows where it wants to go,” Mucunski said.

Speaking about the work report, the minister announced that during the past two years, more than 110 working visits abroad have taken place and over 400 meetings and gatherings have been held. Of these, more than 210 were bilateral meetings with statesmen, ministers, and senior representatives from around the world. He also added that the country has hosted more than 40 European and global leaders and senior representatives.

As for European integration, Mucunski reaffirmed the Government’s unwavering commitment to reforms and the European path. In this context, he recalled the signing of the Security and Defence Partnership with the European Union, as well as securing pre-financing from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

“The European Commission recently made 65.7 million euros available through the Reform and Growth Instrument, which is the highest amount in the region. With this, the total amount of funds made available to our country under the Growth Plan has reached 142.1 million euros. This is not symbolism. This is concrete trust translated into concrete support,” Mucunski stressed.

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