18 February 2021

Selakovic: Relations between Serbia and North Macedonia are based on friendship and have been on the ascent

Relations between Serbia and North Macedonia have been on the ascent and are based on mutual friendship between the citizens of the two countries, assessed the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and North Macedonia, Nikola Selakovic and Bujar Osmani respectively, after the meeting held today in Belgrade.

Selakovic said that he was pleased with the intensification of communication between top-level officials, just days after the Vucic-Zaev meeting at the Tabanovce border crossing, which was aimed at the strengthening of bilateral relations and the European path of Serbia and of North Macedonia.

"Our bilateral relations contribute not only to our countries, but also to the entire region. We have agreed to see each other as often as possible and we want to revive the consultations between the Ministries. We also want to continue holding sessions of the two Governments, to build a friendship equal to that when we helped each other during the pandemic", Minister Selakovic said at the press conference held after the meeting.

Selakovic added that there was full agreement on the issue of resolving relations between Belgrade and Pristina "through the EU-facilitated dialogue, and that this is something we are committed to".

According to the Minister, even this year during the Covid-19 pandemic, bilateral trade in goods reached EUR 860 million.

The Minister pointed out in particular the importance of cooperation regarding the position of national minorities, Serbian in Macedonia and Macedonian in Serbia, and added that Serbia was ready to engage in further improvement of the position of the Macedonian minority in Serbia.

"We want to revive the 2004 agreement which envisages the formation of a joint commission for national minority issues. In the field of cultural cooperation, we are ready to make the maximum contribution and open a Macedonian cultural center in Belgrade, as well as a Serbian one in Skopje", Selakovic pointed out.

As he congratulated Statehood Day to Serbia, Osmani once again expressed his gratitude for receiving the vaccines that President Vucic had delivered to North Macedonia.

"We discussed regional cooperation within the Berlin Process as well as "mini-Schengen" which enables overcoming all barriers for the movement of citizens in the region. It is important to create an attractive region for investment, both for our citizens and foreign nationals", Osmani said.

When asked by the MIA News Agency reporters about Sofia's claim that there was too much of a  Serbian influence in North Macedonia, Minister Selakovic said that "if we are looking at the past and for what separates us, we will not have the time to deal with issues of the future",

"It is good that we are looking for what unites us. If we want to, we will find this easily. I heard about the statements from official Sofia and I gave my best reaction by not commenting on it. Serbia's goal is for us in the region to be good neighbours and to build infrastructure", Selakovic said.

Selakovic stated that Serbia could be an integrating factor for all three countries, noting that he did not see that North Macedonia was in any way a source of disagreements between Serbia and Bulgaria.

"If we only dwell on the past, we will all end up counting the people who leave for other countries", Selakovic added.

Also, Minister Selakovic commented on the media alleging that five countries in the world were ready to withdraw their decisions to recognize the independence of "Kosovo".

Asked if that meant that Belgrade continued its fight and the derecognition campaign, because Pristina continued its lobbying activities at the global level for membership in international organizations, which it had committed no to do under the Washington Agreement, Selakovic said that Serbia was acting as a credible partner and a credible state, as well as that it stuck to what it agreed with someone, "which means that we are not someone who breaks agreements".

"We are sticking to our commitments arising from the Washington Agreement, however, if others are not sticking to theirs, one should not expect us to be just a voodoo doll and a silent observer", Selakovic said briefly.

He added that Belgrade gave absolute priority to dialogue as a way to resolve all open issues, and both internal and regional issues of interest to Serbia.

Source: Tanjug