SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
In Budapest on Monday, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Timco Mucunski and Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto signed an action plan on exchange of expertise by the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy for Public Servants on mutually agreed topics related to EU integration, administration processes of Mucunski’s Ministry, and foreign trade policy.
The meeting between the two Ministers marked the start of the activities in the frames of the two-day North Macedonia Governmental Summit. Mucunski, nine other ministers, and two deputy ministers are part of the delegation led by PM Hristijan Mickoski.
North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for Budapest’s support for Skopje on the EU path, but also with regards to the two sides’ alliance within NATO.
Minister Szijjarto, on his part, said the signing of the document represented a nice introduction to the joint session of the two Governments. He added that cooperation would intensify.
Regarding Ukraine, Mucunski stated that his country was committed to world peace and security being achieved unconditionally and as soon as possible, reiterating that Skopje and Budapest had been among the countries that had cosponsored the US resolution at the UN. Also, he stated that everyone who thought a solution to a war and conflict with geostrategic implications could be found without US participation had an unserious and dishonest approach to the conflict.
Asked about North Macedonia’s position on whether the US-Russia talks was the only way to end the Ukraine war peacefully, the Minister pointed to the resolution adopted by the UN calling for peace. North Macedonia’s foreign policy, according to him, is based on three constants: full-fledged NATO membership, alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, and strategic partnership with the US.
Minister Szijjarto said the London summit had seen eight EU members decide to continue the war in Ukraine, adding that his country and North Macedonia supported the US President, Donald Trump, and also success of America-Russia talks because Skopje and Budapest were clearly seeing that peace could be achieved only through a Moscow-Washington deal.
Regarding enlargement, he said the EU needed fresh strength, which could come only from the Western Balkans. According to the Hungarian politician, the EU is currently more interested in membership of some countries than those countries are interested themselves.
In that regard, he stated that the actions of a big number of countries were hypocritical, which contributed to the Western Balkan countries’ confidence in the EU being brought down. Also, he said the merit-based principle should be applied to all.
“As you’ve seen, we’ve always been committed to full-fledged membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the EU”, Minister Szijjarto stressed.
The same day, PM Mickoski, on his part, visited the Memorial Stone of Heroes in Budapest, where he laid wreaths. The joint Governmental session and Mickoski’s meeting with counterpart Viktor Orban will be held on Tuesday (4 March).
