Brussels, 17 December 2025 (MIA) – The general message I believe we should convey is that we, in the Western Balkans, should work together, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski said in his address at the event “Toast to Good Neighbours”, held Tuesday evening in Brussels, under the auspices of EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.

The accession process, said Mucunski, doesn’t only involve one or two countries from the region to join the European Union, all Western Balkan countries should join. 

“It doesn’t have to happen at the same time. I know the system doesn’t work that way, but we all have to be there. No country in the region should be isolated from full-fledged EU membership and it depends on us to work based on standards, based on criteria and to look toward the future. Less looking back in the past, more looking toward the future because the future is what can unite us,” stated Mucunski.

The event focused on celebrating the cultural heritage, diversity and European future of the Western Balkans with an accent on one of the most symbolic traditions in the region – the art of winemaking.

When it comes to wine, said the minister, many people don’t know that a lot of countries in the region use grapes from another country to make their own wine.

“We are extremely proud that many countries in the region call wine their own and at least a portion of the percentage of grapes in their wine is Macedonian. I won’t name the countries at the moment, so no one gets offended, it’s always a little risky in our region. But its demonstrates that when we work together, we can make the best product. A product everyone loves and a product that is genuinely European,” Mucunski said. 

Speaking at the event, EU Commissioner Kos said that when it comes to the Western Balkans, everyone is talking about politics, clusters, chapters, criteria and negotiations making others to forget that the region is more than that.

“My membership candidates are more than just chasing after negotiations, after meeting commitments, constantly saying yes… The goal of this evening is to show that we are humans and we have to know each other better. We know who are our countries, who are our people, what kind of cuisine their want and we should talk about it this evening,” Kos said adding the countries in the region are know for their hospitality. 

She said she knows how much love the Western Balkan countries invest in the enlargement process to prove the EU they want to be its member.

“I think we sometimes should tell them: you don’t have to do it. You are Europeans. You are part of us. What we are doing now is a formality and it gives me the energy to work with you,” said Kos. 

The host of the event, held at the new Mission of Albania to the EU, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said there he wouldn’t want to talk about conditions, alignment and criteria or other things that Kos is in charge of since the event is dedicated to wine.

“Someone asked me one how I deal with all of these things. I said: I say yes to everything they say… It’s crazy. You say to the EU ‘I love you’, and EU responds ‘ok, but what about you aligning.’ You say again ‘but I love you’, Europe says ‘well fine, but there are criteria.’ This music in Brussels is amazing,” said Rama.

Making a toast, Rama said people in the Balkans are like “a sweet disease”: “Once you catch it, it hurts your belly, your heart and your brain but you don’t want to get rid of it.”

All countries in the region – all but Serbia which cancelled its appearance at the last minute – were represented in the event with wines and traditional cuisine being offered at stands.

In addition to wine and rakia, all the dishes at the Macedonian stand, baked beans, sarma, ajvar, pindzur, malidzano, urnebes salad, proja, rolls, were prepared by the members of the staff of the country’s Mission to the EU. 

Photo: MIA