Skopje, 6 July 2024 (MIA) - The United States strongly supports the Prespa Agreement and hopes that bilateral disputes will remain outside of NATO, said Alton Buland, Principal Director for European and NATO Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in an interview for Voice of America in Macedonian, ahead of the commemoration of alliance’s 75th anniversary next week in Washington.

“We always encourage our allies and partners to adhere to agreements and to keep bilateral disputes and disagreements outside the NATO Alliance, to ensure cooperation and regional stability in your region,” Buland said.

He also said that the Western Balkan countries need to make the necessary reforms for EU accession, and that the lengthy integration process could lead Russia and other "malign actors" to exploit the people's discontent.

“Membership in the EU is certainly a decision for the European Union and its member states. However, the US has always been a strong supporter of Euro-Atlantic integration for the Western Balkans. We continue to encourage countries to implement the necessary reforms on this path and to adhere to international agreements. I think that when there is impatience with what can be a long integration process, it can create opportunities for disappointment, and for Russia and other malign actors to spread disinformation and exploit the people's discontent. Therefore, the risk is all the greater, which is why we would encourage countries to do everything they can to continue on this path of Euro-Atlantic integration for the region,” Buland noted.

During the interview, Buland points to the State Department for comments on particular political issues.

"For a political issue like this, and especially a bilateral one, I would again refer you to our colleagues at the US Department of State who lead our diplomacy. From the Department of Defense’s perspective, we strongly support the Prespa Agreement. We also strongly support NATO membership and the contributions of North Macedonia and Greece, and we will continue to do everything we can to strengthen those ties within the Alliance and to keep making this the most successful and strongest alliance in world history,” Buland said.

When asked if the prolonged waiting period for Western Balkan countries to enter the EU poses a risk for a larger security issue, the US representative states that any disagreement that continues for an extended period can create opportunities for "external and malign actors" to take advantage of, and for this reason, he supports any diplomatic efforts needed to address such disagreements.

“Our focus, once again, is on unity, solidarity, and strengthening NATO’s collective defense and deterrence, as well as supporting Ukraine,” Buland said.

Buland expresses his anticipation for the leaders from the country to join the celebration of NATO’s 75th anniversary next week in Washington.

“For North Macedonia, I believe it should continue to play a leading role in advancing regional stability in the Western Balkans. I must express my gratitude to the Ministry of Defense for North Macedonia’s contribution to the NATO KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and the EU missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have helped to promote stability in that country. We appreciate the contribution of North Macedonia to Ukraine. Even as a small country, this security support is essential for helping Ukraine defend itself against the brutal and unprovoked Russian aggression in this conflict that is killing thousands of civilians in Ukraine. Thus, I look forward to North Macedonia joining the other NATO allies here next week to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the most powerful and successful alliance in world history, which continues to work on strengthening our collective deterrence and defense. And this is such a critical moment and truly a commitment that our country, our citizens have taken towards North Macedonia and the citizens of 30 other nations, to stand together and support one another in the event of an external threat to NATO. And we look forward to advancing and preparing the Alliance for the threats it may face in the future, from dealing with terrorism to addressing climate change challenges. I expect that next week we will witness strong statements and exceptionally powerful and historic decisions from 32 allied leaders, including North Macedonia, to advance all these goals,” Buland said.

Photo: Voice of America