The Western Balkans must be high on the European Union agenda.

The EU should be determined and start membership talks with Northern Macedonia as soon as possible, said today the Minister of Defense Slavjanja Petrovska in the meeting with Joaneke Balfort, Director for Security and Defense Policy of the European External Action Service, i who is visiting Skopje.

At the meeting, as announced by the Ministry of Defense, Minister Petrovska focused on the need for a visible and rapid European perspective of the countries of the region, which is extremely important especially in these times of security challenges on the continent.

She added that this process also affects the credibility of the Union.

Petrovska stressed that the common security and defense policy is another tool for strengthening relations with the region, and that the foreign policy of Northern Macedonia is fully in line with this Union's security and defense policy.

For his part, Balfort agreed that Northern Macedonia is ready to start negotiations.

"We hope that we will be able to start the membership negotiations soon, which will give an extremely positive impetus.

"Northern Macedonia is ready for this process," Balfort said.

She thanked for the full harmonization of the foreign policy of Northern Macedonia with the common security and defense policy of the Union.

Regarding the cooperation between NATO and the EU, Petrovska and Balfort concluded that both organizations have common challenges that require common solutions.

They stressed that NATO and the EU need to work together on many issues, especially in building resistance to threats.

The meeting also discussed the close cooperation in capacity building in dealing with hybrid threats and especially misinformation, as a challenge faced by the Western Balkan countries and members of the Union.

Northern Macedonia has contributed to the EUFOR-ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2006, and since 2020 has been part of the EU training mission in the Central African Republic.