Skopje, 14 November 2022 (MIA) – The bilateral relations between North Macedonia and Albania have never been better and they are an example how neighboring countries can and should cooperate, PM Dimitar Kovachevski said delivering introductory speech at the joint session of the countries’ governments being held on Monday in Skopje. “Not so far away the whole Balkans was a hostage to retrograde policies. This was the vision to see the whole region as whole, the countries as part of this whole and to act together towards joint European future. What was needed was progressive leadership that could rise above personal political interests and leaders that looked forward and to tomorrow. It is more than clear that together we can always do more, that is why in a few short years, through sincere political will for progress, we have achieved much more than what could be imagined at the time. The bilateral relations between North Macedonia and the Republic of Albania have never been better. We can say that we are an example how two neighbors can and should cooperate,” Kovachevski said. He also referred to cooperation in crisis conditions as within the framework of the Open Balkans initiative and within the framework of the Berlin Process, the development of bilateral relations and cooperation in the field of defence as equal trusted partners of NATO and the USA. “Some did not believe, but together we have stepped towards European integration. On July 19, we both and on the behalf of our citizens and our countries we heard the words “we marked the negotiations as opened,” uttered by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs. Your support and your personal support at the political table those days in Brussels is invaluable and I will forever remember and appreciate it. As they say friends are known in trouble, and you Edi and your dear colleagues from Albania have shown true and sincere friendship and unequivocal support both on the European path and during our membership in NATO. We have the same goal of full membership of both North Macedonia and Albania in the EU. As progressive governments, we have put a lot of effort and showed that progress can only be made with cooperation,” Kovachevski said, stressing the importance of the implementation of the projects for infrastructure connectivity of the two countries. In regard to the war in Ukraine, PM Kovachevski underlined that the country has placed itself clearly on the line of the EU's foreign policy, and Albania has done the same, the two countries, he said, together stand on the line of world peace and maintain stability in the region. “It is our common interest to prevent attempts by third parties for their own purposes to drag our countries and entire Western Balkans into undesirable scenarios, scenarios that will threaten the democratic gains that we have worked so long to restore, which will block the opportunities for economic development of the states and drag the region into new isolations and tensions, that the Balkans barely overcome. Both our countries through joint work on specific solutions are investing in a secure future for the entire Balkan region, and that is already clear to everyone. As democratic governments, we know that Euro-Atlantic integrations are of strategic interest for stability and security, for the economy and the standard of living of the entire Western Balkans, and the EU has finally realized that its strategic and security interest that the Western Balkans can be and will be part of Europe and that now is the moment to ensure the rounding of the European family. We must not miss this momentum of extended hands from our friends and partners. We and the EU have so far fulfilled all our promises and will continue to do so,” PM Kovachevski said. He underscored that the opening of the negotiations and the start of the screening is a huge success for all of us, the process has finally started and now with a fully protected identity and national interests, recognized and confirmed by Europe, we are progressing in the reforms to ensure European standards and principles. “For us, for the Macedonian identity and Macedonian language, recognition from Europe was very important. The negotiations were painful and difficult, but we managed to achieve what we fought for, which is to preserve the Macedonian language and raise it to the same level as the other languages of the EU. Macedonian identity will continue to develop as a part of the complex European identity. Proof of our effort and fulfilled promise was the signing of the agreement with FRONTEX, signed by all 27 member countries in the Macedonian language without any additions or footnotes,” Kovachevski said. He also said that we have to "approach other necessary steps in the Parliament", in order to complete the accession negotiations with the EU in a dynamic process. “There is no more room for excuses, which would block our country's approach to European integration. Now everything is in our hands. I expect the MPs to show responsibility in the Parliament as well, in order to continue moving quickly towards the EU. As we started the negotiations together, North Macedonia and Albania have the opportunity to finish the negotiations together,” Kovachevski noted. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also delivered opening remarks at the joint session of the countries’ governments in Skopje on Monday, after which a discussion between the ministers of the two governments began. At today’s session, countries’ ministers are set to sign agreements and memoranda aimed to strengthen cooperation in several segments.