Skopje, 15 June 2023 (MIA) — Migration is a European challenge requiring a European respomse, through joint policies, cooperation and coordination, and stability across the European continent can be reached only when Western Balkan countries join the European Union, said Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski as keynote speaker during the “EU-Western Balkans Migration Management: Solidarity and Shared Commitments” session at the third annual Prespa Forum Dialogue in Struga.

Minister Spasovski said migration could be prevented and managed only through cooperation between all countries that are geographically part of Europe.

"Every challenge, which is common to the entire region, must send a strong message to EU member states that the EU cannot be complete without Western Balkan countries. This is not only due to the fact that most migrants arrive from our neighborhood but also because the regions where the strong migration wave comes from, mainly the Middle East, heightened by Russia's invasion in Ukraine, even today are far from real stabilization," Spasovski noted.

He said the wave of migration that had swept Europe — which North Macedonia was part of, being on the so-called Western Balkan route — revealed many policy weaknesses and flaws in all of Europe.

"The Ministry of Interior conducted a joint operation with eight European countries, and stationed police officers at the Macedonian-Greek border even when they themselves were dealing with an overflow of illegal immigrants on their territory, as well as the Covid crisis, which is why I want to thank the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Serbia," Spasovski said.

The Frontex Agreement, he said, was of special importance to North Macedonia and the Ministry of Interior, not only because it was signed in Macedonian but also from an operational aspect.

"Dealing with migration is only possible through joint policies," Spasovski said. ssh/mr