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.

The Security Council expressed most fervent condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Paris and deepest condolences to the citizens of the French Republic.

Regarding the threats of violent extremism and foreign terrorist fighters, it was concluded that the institutions are regularly taking measures and reporting.

The security services briefed on all the challenges and potential threats that the region is facing, as well as on the measures that our institutions are undertaking in cooperation with partner services in view of countering those threats.

It was established that regarding the migrant crisis, the relevant institutions in the Republic of Macedonia are acting in accordance with the Law on Crisis Management.

It was concluded that the Army of the Republic of Macedonia and the Steering Committee take all necessary measures in case of a change of the situation on the field, in the sense of possible restrictions of migrant inflow in other European countries where they might be headed.

In case the situation with the migrant inflow shows a decreasing trend in other countries, the Security Council concluded that the Army of the Republic of Macedonia and the Steering Committee will be allowed to proceed to setting a barbed wire fence, as a measure of last resort, where this will be assessed as necessary.

The Security Council instructed the Army of the Republic of Macedonia to immediately start all preparations and activities for clearing and preparing the terrain for an eventual and possible setting of a fence.

The Security Council underlined that the setting of a fence would not be in direction of closing the border, but rather in function of channeling and limiting the inflow in accordance with the number of migrants to be accepted by the European countries to which the migrants are headed.

Nevertheless, this step, to be considered at this point only as a possibility, would be taken only as a measure of last resort, i.e. only if the countries towards which the migrants are headed reduce the inflow drastically and thus place the Republic of Macedonia in a situation to face the challenge of a long term stay of an uncontrolled number of migrants, for which it has no capacity and possibility to provide humane treatment.