Skopje, 26 October 2023 (MIA) – Strengthening of the cooperation in managing migration, countering drug trafficking and fight against terrorism were topics discussed at first day of the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs in Skopje on Thursday 

Following the meeting, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, the Spanish Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez, and the Minister of Interior of North Macedonia, Oliver Spasovski gave a press conference.

Spanish Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez, assessed that the first day of the Forum generated a productive debate on topics that require a common, coordinated and decisive response.

“This new meeting affirms the strength of this bi-regional friendship, which will also have a new achievement with the summit of presidents and prime ministers, which will be held in December. Today, no one doubts the unequivocal European vocation of the Western Balkans, a project that is one of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council and for which we are dedicatedly working to consolidate and strengthen it,” he said.

Regarding the topics discussed today at the Forum, Gomez singled out the fight against terrorism as the top priority at the moment.

“We share a very clear goal, the fight against terrorism, which is our top priority at the moment, as we agreed today at the forum. We also agreed that the most effective response is one based on cooperation. The way we should follow is operational police cooperation, which already has one important tool, the Joint Action Plan against terrorism for the Western Balkans,” Gómez noted.

In regard to preventing illicit drug trafficking, he underscored the fact that mutual cooperation is more active and effective than ever before, between Europol, EU member states and partners from the Western Balkans.

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said that during the day with the partners they referred to topics for further deepening of EU cooperation with the Western Balkans in the area of security and migration. She pointed out that yesterday there was a very good practical example of this in North Macedonia, with the opening of a new Department for Forensic Investigations, funded by the EU worth 3.6 million euros, and which will contribute to improving the capacities of the police in the area of the investigation as well as possibilities for future coordination.

“The Western Balkan partners are part of the European family. The EU will continue to support the Western Balkans on their path to EU accession. Continuous reforms in the area of the rule of law and the fight against corruption are fundamental. Today we had a very good discussion on strengthening our cooperation on managing migration, the fight against drug trafficking and the fight against terrorism,” Johansson said and thanked Minister Spasovski and North Macedonia as well as the Spanish EU Presidency for hosting the forum.

She highlighted that thanks to coordinated actions the overall migratory pressure on the Western Balkan route had so far decreased, which was presented in the EC report in December 2022. At the same time, she noted that the Western Balkans partners continue to advance towards harmonization with the visa regime, which is important for facing the potential abuses of visa liberalization. North Macedonia, Johansson said, is an example that should be followed in this sphere. She also underlined that North Macedonia was the first country in the region to sign a cooperation agreement with FRONTEX, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

“The creation of joint policies is just a prerequisite for a joint functioning within the European Union. The door is open, and we are decisively stepping forward, and the European momentum is inevitable,” said Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski at the press conference.

Referring to the last topic of the first day of the Forum, related to the managing migration, Spasovski said that on the same day one year ago, he and European Commissioner Johansson signed the Agreement between the Republic of North Macedonia and the European Union on operational activities carried out by the FRONTEX, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

“The operationalization of this agreement and the start of the Joint Operation of FRONTEX in April of this year, as equal partners, which by all parameters gives extremely high operational results, shows that only with a joint, coordinated approach can we successfully deal with global challenges,” Spasovski said.

He also referred to the session dedicated to countering the impact of drugs on societies, at which the strengthened police cooperation in recent years was jointly welcomed, which enabled the joint dismantling of numerous organized criminal groups involved in drug trafficking throughout Europe and beyond, and an increase of drug seizures.

Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, The Friday’s session of the meeting of Justice Ministers from the EU and Western Balkans will focus on the judiciary 

On Friday, Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, Spanish Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop Cuenca and Justice Minister Kreanr Lloga will participate in the session focused on judiciary within the meeting of Justice Ministers from the EU and Western Balkans.