We remain disappointed EU member states were unable to include approval of North Macedonia’s negotiating framework on the agenda during yesterday’s General Affairs Council meeting. There is no doubt that North Macedonia has done the work necessary to launch accession talks – a move that would increase regional stability and advance political and economic connectivity with Europe and the Transatlantic partnership more broadly, United States Ambassador to North Macedonia, Kate Byrnes, said at the first Skopje Economic Forum on Wednesday.
The United States, Byrnes underlined, will be with North Macedonia and the region every step of that journey forward.
“North Macedonia has made remarkable progress in recent years. The country left behind political instability that hindered democratic reforms and has become a partner capable of bolstering security, stability, and prosperity across the entire Balkan region. Signing the Prespa Agreement, becoming a NATO member, and unlocking the path to the EU are only some of the most notable successes. Now is the time for investments and trade to reap the benefits of those political wins, and for economic growth to pick up,” the Ambassador said.
The United States’ priorities for the Western Balkans, she added, are clear and have not changed. We continue to see the region’s future at peace and integrated with itself, with its neighbors – stable, prosperous, and fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic framework.
“Each of the Western Balkan countries individually represent small markets for serious investors. Together, they represent a potential consumer market of nearly 18 million people that can attract large American and European companies, which will in turn raise the region’s competitiveness,” Byrnes noted.
At the end of the day, she stressed, North Macedonia belongs within the EU. While this is a long path, it is important to continue making progress.
“Fundamentally, the steps in this process are of enormous benefit to the people of this country. Steps like strengthening the rule of law and meaningfully fighting corruption, improving infrastructure, integrating your economy with that of your neighbors, creating a fair and level playing field for investment and business—these things are indeed EU benchmarks, but more importantly, they benefit North Macedonia and its people, especially its youth,” the Ambassador told the forum.
As President Biden recently said, Byrnes underlined, “We have to build the shared future we seek.” Continuing to build out connections between North Macedonia and its neighbors will build that shared future, she stressed, adding that it will allow both this country and the region to benefit from each other’s networks, increasing security of supplies and bringing significant investment opportunities for U.S. and other regional businesses.
