Distinguished representatives of the media,
With the President of the European Council, we discussed about the challenges arising from the migrant, refugee and security crisis, as well as the situation with the European integration of the Republic of Macedonia.
I wish to state clearly that the only way for Macedonia to continue the integration process and to put an end to the continuous political crises, which are greatly due to the status quo position in terms of integration, is to open accession negotiations with the Union.
For six years, we have had the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission. But the problem, or the blockade comes from the European Council.
On several occasions, I spoke to the previous president of the European Council, Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, and on all those occasions I asked for greater decisiveness, a more visionary and more responsible approach by the European Council that has been unable to find the strength for six years to deal with one Member State which is blocking both the interests of our region and the wider interests of the European Union.
I have asked for the same thing from President Tusk today.
We are witnessing the solidarity of the European Council and of the Member States demonstrated in terms of the economic crisis that stroke our southern neighbor, but on the other hand we did not see a return of such solidarity by our neighbor as regards the interests of other member States that supported the integration process of the Republic of Macedonia. Was it necessary for crises and challenges to happen to Europe in order for the price of the indecisiveness of the Council and the slow dynamics of integration of Balkan countries to come to light?
Therefore, Mr. Tusk, we appreciate your visit. The citizens of the Republic of Macedonia have grown tired of waiting, of constant political crises and might consider this attention as belated. In any case, I ask, on behalf of our citizens and in your capacity as President of the Council, for your engagement in this sense, not to treat enlargement as a technical question, to work with Member States and not to allow the Council to make the same mistakes as previously.
The Republic of Macedonia has become a classic example of how not to treat a candidate country for membership in the European Union.
This visit is of exceptional importance also because of the current developments and difficult situation that the entire Europe is faced with.
Firstly, because of EU and Macedonia's crisis management for handling this crisis.
Secondly, because of the permanent and direct threat of terrorist attacks coming from radical and violent extremism that we have faced as well back in May of this year with the Kumanovo events.
We then managed to prevent a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in many towns in Macedonia from happening.
And thirdly, because of the blockade of the Macedonian integration in the EU right within the European Council.
Handling and preventing the refugee and migrant crisis unveiled the weaknesses of the EU.
Macedonia is part of the Balkan corridor and was the first non-EU country to declare a state of crisis in view of the threat for illegal migration coming from the territory of the Union.
Macedonia is suffering the consequences of:
а) a non-functional mechanism of the Union for distribution of refugees in Member States via so-called quotas;
б) the non-registration of refugess and migrants by a Member State of the Union and
в) the adoption of unilateral national decisions in some Member States of the Union which limited the flow of persons without prior notification
From the beginning of January this year, until now, half a million refugees and migrants have tranzited the territory of Macedonia.
In spite of the promises, Macedonia has not received any financial or technical assistance from the European Union regarding this migrant and refugee crisis.
Although we requested from the Union to provide equipment for registration of migrants and refugees and for monitoring the state border, we have not received anything.
Macedonia is spending its own budget resources to manage this crisis. Only for the needs of the security services we spent more than 10 million euros so far. We are facing a lack of material and technical capacities as well as human resources in order to respond to the threats and risks against national security.
28 days have passed since the extraordinary summit in Brussels. At that meeting, I warned that according to our analyses and research, the corridor first opened by refugees is becoming a migrant corridor.
We participated with our interventions to the text in order to obtain rights that will enable us to respond to the obligations imposed by the Union.
We requested exchange of information, joint operative actions, joint intervention teams in the part of the common border with the Union where there is flow, as well as control and registration points.
We requested access to the databases of the institutions of the Union in order to cooperate with law enforcement institutions in terms of lists of ISIL and other terrorist network members, forged passports and documents and so on.
We requested and will continue to request access for the security of our citizens and for the defense of our territory. We requested and will continue to request access for the benefit of European security.
We are now facing a new reality. The countries of the Union decided to limit the flow of refugees and made a classification of so-called "economic migrants". The Gevgelija control point is becoming a cul-de-sac for the entry of migrants and refugees. Security risks are multiplying.
The risk of a possible conflict between refugees and migrants, migrants and the police or army, but also migrants and locals has been estimated as high.
In the past 24 hours, 1000 migrants blocked the entry of 3000 refugees at the control point near the border section No. 59. Also, railway traffic and international railway transport has been interrupted in the past few days.
We are expecting more incidents at the state border because of the increased usage of illegal routes by migrants or refugees who will be denied entry or who will look for ways to avoid registration.
There is still no Frontex mission deployed at the external border of the Union on Greek territory, whose role would be to make exit checks of unregistered persons and then share that information with us. This was the Macedonian request at the meeting in Brussels. In 28 days, we have had an average flow and entry of 5200 persons in Macedonia, or a total of 145.600 persons, out of which 40% have been classified as "economic migrants".
The Balkan corridor begins with a Member State of the Union and the inflow of migrants from there continues – these persons are not fully registered, and there is no exchange of information on the risks and dangers arising from the flow of migrants.
The French prosecutor's office already confirmed that the Balkan corridor was used for the entry of several of the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
I also informed President Tusk about our conclusions from the National Security Council. We have and will continue to act proactively instead of reactively. We have left a possibility for measures of last resort. The Army has been authorized to take such measures.
The measures and activities are in accordance with the procedures and legislation in a state of crisis, and include the setting of bareers for directing the refugees and migrants to a single control and registration point at our southern border. The weather conditions are already influencing the inflow of migrants and refugees.
At the meeting in Brussels, the Republic of Macedonia declared its capacities to host 2000 persons in our temporary transit centers.
Every increase of these figures will mean increase of the permanent and direct threats and risks inside and towards Macedonia.
We will face activities directed towards undermining the national security of Macedonia.
I reaffirmed our position that Macedonia will act in accordance with the measures taken by EU Member States and the states that are part of the Balkan corridor.
Europe is under a permanent and direct threat of terrorist attacks. The terrorist attacks in Paris is a basis for changes in security policies. The Union must not act reactively as it did with the migrant crisis.
The Union must change in order to secure its citizens and protect its external and internal borders.
The Balkan and Macedonia are a part of Europe. The Balkans and Macedonia must be integrated in the security architecture of the Union. The Balkans are the gateway and the corridot to the Union. This gateway must be protected and the corridor must be secured. It is time for changes – and fast ones. Time goes by very quickly.
The refugee and migrant crisis has proven to be a stress test regarding the functioning of the Union, but it also showed that, had the Balkans been integrated in the EU on time, the handling and prevention of the refugee and migrant crisis would have been proactive and the Schengen borders would have been secured.
I balieve that the refugee and migrant crisis, as well as the terrorist attacks in Paris are proof of how much integration is necessary, same as regional cooperation and exchange of information in the areas of security, intelligence and fight against terrorism.
Unfortunately, the approach of the European Union towards the Republic of Macedonia did not deliver results so far. On the contrary, it had a different influence on the political ambience in the country.
Therefore, I urge once again for this blockade of the Euro-integration process to come to an end, and the Republic of Macedonia to obtain its deserved membership in the EU.
Thank you.
The Security Council held a meeting on November 14, 2015, convened by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, due to the security situation related to the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and the challenges arising from the migrant crisis.
