Better security cooperation in the region, exchange of sensitive information nand fast integration of all countries is necessary in order to improve security – underlined President Ivanov at the extraordinary Summit of the Brdo Brioni Process held in Zagreb today.
As the President stated, the extraordinary Summit took place because there are many issues arising from the migrant and refugee crisis.
„These issues are burdening our region and Europe as a whole. Security issues are not only related to the Paris events, since we are witnessing many acts of aggression and expressions of terrorism throughout the world. In spite of the cooperation we have had so far in our region and the confidence built especially through the Brdo – Brioni Process, there is still a lack of cooperation, exchange of information and trust in the area of security, stated the Macedonian President.
He equally emphasized that there are more than 1000 foreign fighters from the region, fighting in Syria and Iraq, whereas 60 per cent of them have already returned, which, as he said, is a concerning situation.
„ This is why it is necessary for the security services to cooperate and exchange sensitive information, thus preventing similar events to the ones in Paris from happening in our region", President Ivanov said.
The Macedonian President also stated that instead of decreasing with the arrival of winter, the number of refugees is increasing.
„We currently have thousands of people from Morocco, Yemen, Northern Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan at the Macedonian – Greek border... The corridor originally opened by the refugees from Syria and Iraq is now being used by economic migrants whose destination is Europe. All of the countries on their route are facing major expenditures in order to cover their humanitarian needs, because they need food, water and medical assistance.
Macedonia is approaching the 10 million Euro mark regarding the funds spent during this period, and it has received no assistance except some symbolic amounts that our humanitarian aid organizations have received from other similar organizations, underlined President Ivanov.
This, according to the President, points to the necessity of taking measures, because countries such as Sweden have already taken actions, and Germany is planning to do the same – an EU – Turkey Summit has also been convened, having in mind that Turkey is where most of the refugees and migrants come from.
As for the messages conveyed at the Zagreb Summit, regarding the faster integration of the Southeast European countries in EU and NATO, President Ivanov said that he pointed to European Council President Tusk (who recently visited Macedonia) all the things that were left undone by his predecessor.
„The largest portion of responsibility falls on the European Council, because that is where the blockage is when it comes to the European integration of Macedonia. All of the countries in the region are progressing, and due to the open issue with Greece, Macedonia is standing in one place. This is why, both at our meeting in Skopje and now, we stated that if we finish our obligations and if everything goes as planned with the political agreement and the upcoming elections, then it will be absolutely necessary to change the status quo situation in Macedonian integrations and finally grant Macedonia the status it deserves", underlined the Macedonian President.
The conclusions of the Summit note that a regular dialogue with the United States, the European Union and the countries of Southeast Europe at the operational level is necessary to counter global security threats.
The present, dramatic migrant crisis is an unprecedented challenge both from a humanitarian and from a security point of view, which demands dialogue and agreement for better protection of EU external borders and significantly alleviate the pressure of refugees over the afflicted countries, estimated the participants at the Summit who stated that enlargement should not be considered as a technical, but rather as a political process.
The conclusions of the Summit also state that open bilateral and regional issues should be tackled with a constructive approach and in accordance with international law and principles.
„Today, we, the leaders of the Brdo Brioni Process, renewed our joint commitment to building trust, developing bilateral and regional dialogue, assisting each other accordingly in the European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes, and promoting further cooperation and reconciliation", was part of the message of the leaders participating at the Summit.
We commit, as they said, to the improvement of economic cooperation and connectivity through regional infrastructure projects and specific focus on energy security.
„Focus was given to guaranteeing the prosperity for young generations by providing them with mobility programs and job opportunities. Here, a synergy of the Brdo Brioni Process with the Berlin Process was emphasized. In this context we welcome the outcome of the Vienna Summit", stated the leaders. At the same time, they expressed their appall by the brutality of the terrorist attack in Paris, as well as the terrorist acts in Ankara, Sinai, Beirut and Bamako, and called for effective and efficient global solutions to combat, prevent and address the root causes of radicalism, violent extremism and terrorism. As the leaders stated, for this, broader international cooperation, better coordination and sharing of information by law enforcement agencies is vital.
„The situation in the world is as it is and we must continue facing the existing and prepare for new challenges. In this context, the Secretary General informed about the ways NATO is assisting the Macedonian Army and all the trainings and support it has been providing in order for us as a country which has been a candidate for NATO membership for so long, to be able to tackle the challenges and influence the general security situation in the wider region" stated President Ivanov.
