Skopje, 18 December 2023 (MIA) – The U.S.- Adriatic Charter (A5) has fulfilled its goals, since all founding members of the A5 have become members of NATO, including Montenegro. The 20th anniversary of the Charter calls for a new strategic concept for the coming decade, said Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani at a joint press conference in Skopje with his Albanian counterpart, Igli Hasani, whose country is assuming the 2024 Chairpersonship of the Adriatic Charter.

“First of all, considering the ongoing security challenges faced by the region, especially after the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, we decided on a more proactive engagement and as chair country we initiated a process strengthening the political role of the platform. We drafted and agreed on a document which placed the foundations for the creation of a new strategic concept of A5. We believed that the 20th anniversary calls for reflection. Has the A5 achieved its goals? We can freely say that it has, since all founding members have become NATO member states, including Montenegro, and we also have states who are aspiring to join NATO. On the basis of this, we outlined two priorities in the new strategic concept for the coming decade,” said Osmani.

The concept envisages enhanced political coordination between NATO member states who are a part of the Charter, and the promotion of regional cooperation.

“The idea is for NATO member states that are a part of the A5 platform to coordinate in order to determine our joint positions, which we would promote within NATO. And the second pillar would be how to help the countries who are aspiring to join the platform, as well as the countries who are aspiring to join NATO,” said Osmani.

According to the Foreign Minister, improving regional cooperation and addressing security risks are also a part of the strategic concept.

“In this context, it’s important to touch upon the recent violent attack in Banjska, in the north of Kosovo, by a Serbian paramilitary structure, and firmly condemn it as a Charter and call for all who carried it out to be held accountable. Such events have the potential to destabilize the region, and our role, as a platform, is to address such security challenges. We believe that the continuation of the Euro-Atlantic path, NATO membership of the countries which aspire to it, and EU membership of all candidates, is the only way towards a sustainable stabilization of the region,” said Osmani.

The Foreign Minister of Albania, Igli Hasani, expressed support for North Macedonia’s concept, and said Albania is reviewing several priorities for its Chairpersonship next year, such as further strengthening of the political engagement and political decisiveness in the fulfillment of joint goals.

“Albania is fully committed to promote peace and stability, to encourage dialogue and to improve cooperation with the Western Balkans. We remain firm supporters of the region’s Euro-Atlantic integration, with unshakeable conviction the promotion of democratic and good-neighborly relations is very important to the region, leading to an improvement in regional stability. Our region deserves peace, stability and cooperation for a better, shared future,” said Hasani.

The Albanian FM also condemned the events in the north of Kosovo and urged that the organized be held accountable, and added that Tirana fully supports Pristina’s efforts to become a member of the Charter.

Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani will chair Monday the final meeting of the US-Adriatic Partnership Commission within North Macedonia's A5 Chairpersonship in 2023.

Photo: MIA