Macedonian President GordanaSiljanovska-Davkova called for a renewal of the spirit of regional cooperation and a return to the principles on which the process was founded three decades ago at the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Sofia.
In her address, the Macedonian head of state warned that Southeast Europe faces serious challenges, including mass emigration of young people, an aging population, economic backwardness and deteriorating geopolitical circumstances.
According to the president, these problems require courageous and responsible leadership, based on solidarity and common interests, rather than narrow and partial policies.
Siljanovska-Davkova stressed that the process of enlargement of the European Union must be consistently based on the Copenhagen criteria, and the dynamics of accession should depend solely on progress in the implementation of reforms.
Referring to the thought of the Bulgarian writer GeorgiGospodinov that “when the doors of the future close, the past becomes the only homeland”, the president said that the Balkans need de-Balkanization through Europeanization.
Siljanovska-Davkova assessed that European integration is a natural, but also a geopolitical and security necessity, emphasizing that a stable, prosperous and European Balkans is in the interest of both the countries of the region and Europe itself.
“The success of each country should be experienced as the success of the entire region. Instead of blockades and divisions, we should compete in knowledge, innovation, culture and economic development,” said President Siljanovska-Davkova, calling for greater regional responsibility as a prerequisite for a predictable and secure common future.
