Esteemed Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Southeast European countries are facing a serious threat. The Balkan region is the first in Europe that is on the bloody map of the so-called Islamic Caliphate.

I have to say with concern that the Balkans is already becoming a base for recruitment and radicalization of new foreign fighters for global jihad. The foreign fighters from the Balkans at ISIL and Jab hat al Nusrah are grouped into ethno-national platoons to export jihadist ideology back in their home countries, and thus serve the wider goals of jihadism.
No one can tell with certainty the exact number of foreign fighters from the Balkans in the military operations in Iraq and Syria. Their number is constantly increasing and we cannot count them any longer.

Among them are jihadists ready for carrying out military operations for defensive and offensive jihad. Their interaction with other foreign fighters builds a multinational structure that poses risk and danger. They have their external network of supporters in the West, have the capability to plan, support and conduct attacks against the West or their areas of interest. Some have been there for 3 years. Others are joining them now. Some are to stay there, but some are likely to return to the Balkans. And, when they come back, they will bring along their hatred of diversity, their devastating ideology which will infect our vulnerable societies and states.

Esteemed Excellencies,

For the time being, the Balkan region does not represent an operational base for international terrorist networks. However, we should be aware that this is not a temporary, but a permanent threat we must be prepared for. We must not rule out as impossible the sick scenarios and verbal threats of foreign fighters for the creation of a so-called Balkan Caliphate. We are under a constant threat. Our region and our countries are not prepared for this threat.

This is the diagnosis of the disease we are faced with. But is there a remedy? I am confident that the remedy consists of three essential steps.

First, the illegal blockade of the rightfully deserved membership of the Republic of Macedonia in NATO is a serious blockade of peace, security and stability in the Balkans. At the beginning, we were blocked in the United Nations because of the name of the country. We are now blocked in NATO and the European Union, not just because of the name, but also because of the identity and the language of its citizens. The blockade is a result of the breach of the Resolutions 817 and 845 of 1993 adopted exactly by the United Nations Security Council, the violation of the 1995 Interim Accord deposited here, in the United Nations, and violation of the Judgment of December 5, 2011, passed by the International Court of Justice, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. These are the reasons why we cannot find a mutually acceptable solution in these 21 years. But at the same time, these are the reasons why there is an ambience of insecurity and instability in our region. Therefore, this Council can and must contribute to peace, security and stability in the Balkans. I urge and expect the Security Council to be persistent on the unconditional respect for its resolutions. I expect the Security Council to be involved in view of respect for the verdict of the International Court of Justice in the case of Macedonia.

Second, accelerated integration of the Republic of Macedonia and of the other Balkan countries into the European Union. Postponing the enlargement, the Union is creating a vacuum in the historically most porous geopolitical space. And, we all know that there is no vacuum in the geopolitical space. Sooner or later, the vacuum tends to be filled. The European Union must not forget that the Balkans is part of Europe, and that by postponing the enlargement, it creates a problem on its own territory. It is necessary that all of the Western Balkan countries are integrated into the European Union as soon as possible.

Third, we believe it is necessary to establish a Regional Counterterrorism Center in the countries of Western Balkans that would work on:

• Identification of threats and assessment of terrorism threats.
• Operational coordination, with a single center that would operationally monitor terrorism threats to targets on a geographical principle.

The center would perform operative cooperation of intelligence on terrorist groups, their networks, locations, capacities and intentions; would provide early warning, prevention and coordination of activities between law enforcement and intelligence services.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is no longer time and excuses for blocking the European and Euro-Atlantic integrations and initiatives. Our region is vulnerable, so is Europe.

It is necessary to strengthen the institutions of the system in all Western Balkan countries by funding programs for de-radicalization and counter-radicalization in order to ensure early prevention and development of counter-measures through programs and action plans.
Alone, we do not have the capacity to respond and address to this threat. We have limited financial capacity. Therefore we need partners to build capacity and counter violent extremism. We can deprive terrorist groups of one resource that is most precious to them - new recruits - by reducing sympathy and support for extremism.
We must be responsible. We must help each other. Stability and security of each state is an important link in the whole region.

Thank you.