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so

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[Applause]

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well good morning everyone we know the

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pandemic

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has only exacerbated the recent trends

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of illiberal influence in the western

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balkans

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economically the pandemic's toll has

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resulted in

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an average negative growth rate of

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almost seven percent

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which threatens to worsen living

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conditions deep in economic and social

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inequalities

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exacerbate migration and brain drain in

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the region

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we know that russia and recently and

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over the past decade china have been

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engaged in the region

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but the eu has been largely taking a

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back seat

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in the transformation that's been

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happening now

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some in the region perceive the eu as a

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panacea still

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others are disillusioned as the carrot

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never seems to be

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something they can catch eat and really

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enjoy

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and there's fears that they may turn to

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other non-eu

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alternatives so the big question this

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morning

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that we are going to try and address in

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some form of fashion

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is how can europe address these

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developments

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in our own backyard and do it more

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quickly than we have in the past

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few decades joining me is our stellar

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panel

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we have his excellency booyar osmani

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minister of foreign affairs of the

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republic of north macedonia

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uh we have good uh his excellency gordon

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girlich rodman minister of foreign

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affairs of the republic of croatia

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uh his excellency anjay logar minister

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of

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foreign affairs of the republic of

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slovenia

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and mr miroslav lychek special

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representative for the belgrade pristina

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dialogue and other western balkan

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regions

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he's of course also the former foreign

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minister

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of the slovak republic my name is my

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three theta roman i'll be leading you

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through this conversation

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um gentlemen and i would like to start

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with you

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uh minister radman

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set the stage for us realistically about

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where we are

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in the region in june 2021 we know

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that the region feels and seems as

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fractured as it was a few decades ago we

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know all the issues

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that have been spoken about multiple

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times but realistically where are we at

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right now

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yeah thank you very much for this

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question and uh

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you know that uh croatia the western

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balkan is an

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our immediate neighborhood and

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who more than creation knows

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about the region and who more than

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croatia is interested in uh

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stability security prosperity of the

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western balkan

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it's not only up to croatia but it is

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actually the

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also the european union obligation

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to uh to show to uh

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and to to be more proactive towards

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you know western balkans to have more

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concrete approach the region needs

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our help needs our assets estance and

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your question where we are now we are

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very close to

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western balkans uh first of

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all uh you do remember the croatia

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during its presidency

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our priority was to organize the

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western balkan summit and then also our

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friends our neighbors slovenia is

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also going the the same where we

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left off and actually it is the

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disproactive

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approach it's shown by european union

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and

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obviously also by the new uh us

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administration as well

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so we are here just our slogan was

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a strong europe in the in in the world

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of challenges

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and western balkan is one of a challenge

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challenge

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and we should just enough to see that

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western balkan uh belongs to

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european union belongs to europe europe

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and

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we we don't want just not to put it uh

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under influence of the third countries

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as you mentioned under our your

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outset so there are countries

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needs a european perspective and we have

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to

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show it and we have to to get them mr

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logar

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do you agree that is where we are

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realistically

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um in terms of where we are at in june

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2021 in the region

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well what i see important is with that

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we are on a way

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we are moving so if i compare

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this period to two years ago

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the countries of western balkans are

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again

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back into the limelight so

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the fact that we are discussing here

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western balkans

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shows that they're back on the agenda

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and i think this is uh it required quite

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an effort

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from countries that are in the vicinity

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of western balkan to put this back on

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the agenda

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on a proposal of a few european

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countries among

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them croatia and slovenia we recently

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held the discussion on western balkan

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and foreign affairs council and it was

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the first discussion after two years

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and this commissioner again brought the

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portfolio

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of enlargement within the

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college of commissioners which proves

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that

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we are coming back to the

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strategic question of the western balkan

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this is as well one of the reason

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why we decided to hold informal

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eu western balkan summit during our

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presidency

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to hold a discussion very frank and

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open discussion among eu leaders with

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leaders of the western bulk countries

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where the main question is strategic

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importance of the region

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when we talk about enlargement with

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western balkans

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it's you know a bit of false narrative

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because

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western balkans are within european

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union

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they are surrounded by the countries of

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the western

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union so we are not enlarging we are

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just you know

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holding the grip on the land that

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belongs to european continent and

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with this one should have in mind

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that european union should be very

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strategic

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when talking about you know possible

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threats from the third party

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which might not have the same strategy

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or vision for the region

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as european union has and for that

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reason

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do its utmost in order to find the

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solution for you know like uh

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failure of the reforms or a stallmate of

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the reform process

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in some particular country so we think

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that we should

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come from you know uh problem

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oriented uh strategy to

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a solution oriented

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strategy for the problems within the

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region

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and this requires a change of the point

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of view

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so i think we are on a path to that we

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are not

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yet there but when we approach

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this you know uh goal i think would

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we we will see the fast-track reform

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process on the countries of

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the western brothers i'm i'm rather

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optimistic

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oh mr doga's optimistic uh mr lychee

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are you as optimistic you just finished

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one of those conversations

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they're tough out there well they say

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that the pessimist is a

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well-informed optimist when we speak

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about the western balkans we speak about

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the

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six partners whose overall territory is

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smaller than that of romania

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and we speak about the six partners

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whose accumulated gdp

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is approximately similar to the one of

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slovakia

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we speak about the region that uh

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has uh 70 percent of its trade with

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european union

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and who received 60 percent of its

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investment from the european union

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we speak about the relationship that is

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extremely strong

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european union provided 3.3 billion

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euros to help the region fight with

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pandemics the european union recently

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presented

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9 billion euro plan economic and

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investment plan for the region

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we speak about the region where the

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support for the european

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integration is 80 percent uh on on

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average

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so it should be a happy partnership but

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it's not

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and that's the problem the problem is

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that

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first of all what we do

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what we as eu do for the region is

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basically taken for granted

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you have partners who receive 200

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million

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euro a year in grants and they will tell

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you

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eu is doing nothing for for me and for

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my country

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we are also eu has never been good at

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being uh quick

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so for example uh with vaccines when

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the partners needed a quick assistance

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it was not us who came first obviously

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and overall and six months from now we

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will see that

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the european union has provided by far

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the highest amount of vaccines

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but when it was most needed and most

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visible it was not happening it was

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the russians it was the chinese it was

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the serbs actually also

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but the most important dilemma is

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whether the promise of their future

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membership in the european union

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still stands and

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there are some of the eu member states

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who have their doubts

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and and our part partners are also

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questioning whether it's worth

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to go into all these reforms when the

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outcome

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is not so not well known and when the

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goal post

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seems to be moved further away and we

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are will say something about it

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and the vision becomes more blurred and

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this is the dilemma we are in

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right now and the sooner we find answers

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to this dilemma the better for

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us for the eu and for the region mr

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osmond that brings me nicely back to you

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um one of those countries is not

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macedonia

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it's been years and years of trying to

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meet the accession rules

293
00:11:44,399 --> 00:11:47,040
um and the goal post as mr leicester

294
00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:47,440
says

295
00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,480
keeps moving realistically what

296
00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,720
what is the position internally in

297
00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,040
northern macedonia about the eu

298
00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,079
is it it's an attractive proposition

299
00:11:58,079 --> 00:11:59,760
anymore

300
00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:01,680
well thank you so much first i'm the

301
00:12:01,680 --> 00:12:04,639
only one from western balkans here

302
00:12:04,639 --> 00:12:08,000
uh we don't like very much the name

303
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:09,760
western balkans we would like to have

304
00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:10,000
some

305
00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,600
european prefix in front of it so

306
00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,920
southeastern europe would be better sort

307
00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,880
of it gives us more confidence that

308
00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,920
we're going there anja said

309
00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,240
that the fact that we are talking about

310
00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,079
western balkans we are meeting more

311
00:12:26,079 --> 00:12:27,200
often

312
00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,600
tells that the western balkans is on the

313
00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:30,800
agenda we'll try to give

314
00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,839
another perspective you have probably

315
00:12:33,839 --> 00:12:36,000
noticed that there is an intensified

316
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,240
communication lately between eu and

317
00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,560
western balkans it started in berdoriani

318
00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:41,600
with the summit

319
00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,880
tirana summit vienna summit berlin

320
00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,279
process prespa forum dialogue

321
00:12:47,279 --> 00:12:50,720
and my feeling is that this intensified

322
00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:51,600
communication

323
00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,200
tells that there is a widespread feeling

324
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,160
that the region is reaching a critical

325
00:12:58,160 --> 00:12:58,560
point

326
00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,760
some critical point and i think that

327
00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,519
that critical point is the loss of

328
00:13:05,519 --> 00:13:08,160
confident confidence in the credibility

329
00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,320
of the european perspective

330
00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,240
and the turning point to go beyond

331
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,920
that uh losing that confidence is the

332
00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,320
unique case of north macedonia

333
00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,720
north macedonia has started this journey

334
00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:24,399
20 years ago

335
00:13:24,399 --> 00:13:26,399
signed the stabilization association

336
00:13:26,399 --> 00:13:29,680
agreement in 2001 after slovenia a few

337
00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:31,440
months before croatia

338
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:33,519
just to put it in a context croatia this

339
00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:36,240
year marks eight years of its membership

340
00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,720
we have not started yet the accession

341
00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,000
talks to join

342
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,800
eu in the same year we signed the

343
00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:44,480
awkward framework agreement which

344
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,639
provided the frame to build a functional

345
00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:48,320
multi-ethnic democracy

346
00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,040
and today 20 years later this awkward

347
00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:52,880
framework agreement is considered

348
00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,920
as the only or if i don't exaggerate

349
00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,800
as the most successful peace agreement

350
00:13:58,800 --> 00:13:59,360
in the

351
00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,399
ex-yugoslavia territory because it built

352
00:14:02,399 --> 00:14:05,440
a tell that functional multi-ethnic

353
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:07,680
democracy can work in the balkans

354
00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:10,560
and it can serve as a model for the

355
00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:12,480
region and beyond the region

356
00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,519
from 2005 we were granted the status of

357
00:14:15,519 --> 00:14:17,760
candidate from 2009

358
00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,800
11 consecutive recommendations from the

359
00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:21,680
commission

360
00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,760
that we have fulfilled the criteria to

361
00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,120
start accession talks

362
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,760
and they were refused every single time

363
00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:28,800
in the council

364
00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:32,360
due to bilateral issues so we came up to

365
00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,639
2018 when we signed the press bar

366
00:14:34,639 --> 00:14:35,519
agreement

367
00:14:35,519 --> 00:14:37,360
we changed the name of the country we

368
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,600
changed the constitution due to this

369
00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,480
ambition to join eu we signed the friend

370
00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,800
a good neighbor's treaty with bulgaria

371
00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:46,079
so we accepted

372
00:14:46,079 --> 00:14:48,880
shared and common history and accepted a

373
00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:50,880
reciprocal bilateral clause on the

374
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:51,680
language

375
00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,639
so issue at the with core sensitivity

376
00:14:54,639 --> 00:14:55,920
for the identity of

377
00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,120
people and we are still not there and

378
00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:00,320
there's a feeling

379
00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,959
in north macedonia that this is a moving

380
00:15:02,959 --> 00:15:03,680
target

381
00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,839
that there is no credibility in the in

382
00:15:05,839 --> 00:15:07,199
the process

383
00:15:07,199 --> 00:15:10,480
and why why is critical it is critical

384
00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,320
because this process was based on

385
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:13,760
conditionality

386
00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,079
on the ma the sentence which is very

387
00:15:16,079 --> 00:15:17,760
popular in north in the balkans

388
00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:20,639
if you deliver we will deliver and this

389
00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:21,839
sentence was the main

390
00:15:21,839 --> 00:15:24,880
fuel for the engine of the reform and

391
00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:26,000
joining the region

392
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,560
but most importantly was the glue for

393
00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:30,320
the contradictory narratives in the

394
00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:30,880
region

395
00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:32,480
that were sometimes conflicting

396
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,440
narratives and this eu narrative sort of

397
00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,800
subordinates and keeps them uh together

398
00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,639
and as this glue and this fuel weakens

399
00:15:42,639 --> 00:15:45,199
the engine of reforms will slow the

400
00:15:45,199 --> 00:15:47,600
conflicting narratives will detach and

401
00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,959
go into some kind of entropy and we come

402
00:15:50,959 --> 00:15:52,480
to the third question what is

403
00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,040
what needs to be done i think the

404
00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,120
accession talks starting the accession

405
00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:58,639
talks is the solution

406
00:15:58,639 --> 00:16:01,120
accession talks is nothing more than a

407
00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,399
technical assistance

408
00:16:02,399 --> 00:16:05,440
for the countries so eu need to adjust

409
00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,519
anything to to provide the accession

410
00:16:07,519 --> 00:16:10,079
talks but rather to assist the countries

411
00:16:10,079 --> 00:16:12,399
to develop in complementarity with the

412
00:16:12,399 --> 00:16:13,120
region

413
00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,199
and i will tell something that maybe we

414
00:16:15,199 --> 00:16:16,639
don't say it often

415
00:16:16,639 --> 00:16:20,000
we are aware that we might

416
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,959
not join eu in this setting as it is now

417
00:16:24,959 --> 00:16:28,560
our idea is that while eu reform itself

418
00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,199
and get ready to accept new countries

419
00:16:31,199 --> 00:16:31,920
and while

420
00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,399
the region prepare itself to be ready to

421
00:16:34,399 --> 00:16:35,199
get in

422
00:16:35,199 --> 00:16:37,759
we need some kind of hook so we don't

423
00:16:37,759 --> 00:16:38,560
diverge

424
00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,759
we grow into different directions due to

425
00:16:41,759 --> 00:16:43,839
dragging and pushing forces from

426
00:16:43,839 --> 00:16:45,040
external forces

427
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,560
from internal forces and we never meet

428
00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:50,639
so the idea of accession talks is to

429
00:16:50,639 --> 00:16:51,600
grow together

430
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,560
hand in hand in parallel and sometime

431
00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:56,240
when europe will be ready

432
00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,839
to accept us we would be ready to uh to

433
00:16:59,839 --> 00:17:03,440
to join and i think that the case of

434
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:05,599
north macedonia has become a litmus test

435
00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:06,959
for this credibility

436
00:17:06,959 --> 00:17:10,079
and june will be the first opportunity

437
00:17:10,079 --> 00:17:12,880
for eu to respond to this unique case so

438
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,240
gentlemen i'll put it to you

439
00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,199
um what is the carrot for north

440
00:17:17,199 --> 00:17:18,000
macedonia

441
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,119
and the others at this point if um the

442
00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:22,400
eu as you see mr

443
00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,520
check is slow and the and the chinese

444
00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:26,480
and the russians

445
00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,760
the saudis the uae pretty much turkey

446
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:30,160
name

447
00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,200
name name the country and you have a

448
00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,559
circle uh of uh people just trying to

449
00:17:36,559 --> 00:17:38,240
figure out who can get the influence in

450
00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,000
that region what is the carrot that the

451
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,280
eu can offer

452
00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,880
speedily which we're not known for

453
00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,520
oh i would love to put it to all of you

454
00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:48,480
yeah

455
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,240
first of all thank you very much but uh

456
00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:51,679
before answering your question

457
00:17:51,679 --> 00:17:54,960
uh really i fully agreed with the

458
00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:56,960
uh boyer my good friend what he said

459
00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:58,400
actually there are

460
00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,440
western balkans was

461
00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,760
really imposed and not asking that the

462
00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,919
countries if they are really on uh

463
00:18:05,919 --> 00:18:07,919
agreed with this name it is something

464
00:18:07,919 --> 00:18:10,320
that uh it is actually artificial

465
00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,679
er it's uh neither uh politically nor

466
00:18:13,679 --> 00:18:15,760
geographically correct if there is no

467
00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:16,640
western balkan

468
00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,120
where is the eastern part however it's

469
00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:20,720
uh more appropriate

470
00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:22,960
a pro proper southeast europe but

471
00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,080
however it's

472
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,799
so where we are now okay it's southeast

473
00:18:26,799 --> 00:18:29,280
europe or the western balkans however

474
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,600
uh during their creation new presidency

475
00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,600
last year uh our successor

476
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,039
outcome of their uh uh western balkan

477
00:18:37,039 --> 00:18:38,559
summit was the

478
00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:40,880
so-called zagreb declaration and we were

479
00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:42,080
so happy

480
00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,360
to uh to give other european uh

481
00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:48,480
to hand over actually their the

482
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,679
optimism and and and good message to

483
00:18:51,679 --> 00:18:54,960
north macedonia and albania uh meaning

484
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:55,280
that

485
00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,799
so we actually opened uh their uh

486
00:18:58,799 --> 00:19:00,720
according based under the on the new

487
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,799
techno uh methodology

488
00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:04,640
to accession negotiation with nor

489
00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:06,000
macedonia

490
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,600
and albania and uh so uh we look forward

491
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:10,160
justin

492
00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,640
to start with the negotiations uh also

493
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,160
creation position

494
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,240
without further delay with north

495
00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,240
macedonia because they deserved

496
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,520
really they they suffered also almost uh

497
00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,039
16 years and so

498
00:19:23,039 --> 00:19:26,240
they finally agreed it was only one

499
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,679
criteria or condition uh to change the

500
00:19:29,679 --> 00:19:30,480
name

501
00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,840
and its outcome of this

502
00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,960
uh so long term

503
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,320
negotiation and i think so the european

504
00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,320
union should decide on this matter and

505
00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,080
to start the negotiations

506
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,960
with uh with norma cedoni and albania

507
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:47,520
because

508
00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,720
the country wants to be part of the

509
00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,240
european union

510
00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,000
they uh fulfilled uh many of criterias

511
00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:56,559
like

512
00:19:56,559 --> 00:20:00,240
croatia did so we know that we are we

513
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:01,280
were we worked

514
00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,360
also we have been working even even more

515
00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:04,960
and not together and

516
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,240
know actually where they are now

517
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,520
on what they uh they reached really and

518
00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:11,840
uh

519
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,480
they they made a big progress and it

520
00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:15,520
will be in uh

521
00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,200
so it's up to european union to show the

522
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:20,159
strength

523
00:20:20,159 --> 00:20:23,360
and to show really readiness to start a

524
00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:25,120
negotiation with norma macedonia in

525
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:25,919
albania

526
00:20:25,919 --> 00:20:28,480
what's the carrot gentlemen what is the

527
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:29,679
carrot at this point

528
00:20:29,679 --> 00:20:33,440
it's not about the carrot it looks like

529
00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,080
we are holding the carrot and the our

530
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,840
partners from north macedonia are coming

531
00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:38,640
to us

532
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,960
and we are running away from them and

533
00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:42,080
the carrot is uh

534
00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,559
rotting in the meantime so this is the

535
00:20:44,559 --> 00:20:47,039
problem with north macedonia we have a

536
00:20:47,039 --> 00:20:50,000
a unique partner who has done everything

537
00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,320
we've ever asked them to do

538
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,400
and the ball is clearly in our court and

539
00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:55,600
the north macedonian

540
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:57,520
case is a test of our credibility

541
00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,360
because it's easy to

542
00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:01,520
blame our partners but they don't give

543
00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:03,440
us the luxury to blame them

544
00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,159
so we need to sort it out if we if we

545
00:21:06,159 --> 00:21:07,919
are serious and if we want to be seen as

546
00:21:07,919 --> 00:21:09,440
credible partners for

547
00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,840
for for the balkans and not only the one

548
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:13,600
who supplies money but

549
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,039
uh is unable to influence the

550
00:21:17,039 --> 00:21:18,480
development and for me

551
00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,080
this is not about north macedonia's

552
00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:23,039
european future

553
00:21:23,039 --> 00:21:24,880
it's also about you european union's

554
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,880
credibility is a global player

555
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,000
it's about our ability to influence uh

556
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,679
in a european way our immediate

557
00:21:31,679 --> 00:21:32,799
neighborhood

558
00:21:32,799 --> 00:21:34,960
it's about our our ability to be

559
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,200
partnered to united states for example

560
00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,960
if we cannot act as as a strong actor in

561
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:41,760
the balkans

562
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,159
where else are we expected to play at

563
00:21:44,159 --> 00:21:45,120
this role

564
00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:46,880
so that means if we fail in the balkans

565
00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:48,480
we have failed as a global

566
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,640
actor as a as a foreign policy player as

567
00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:51,919
the european union

568
00:21:51,919 --> 00:21:54,080
so this is what we because there are

569
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,120
some among us who think that

570
00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,360
membership perspective is some a gift

571
00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:01,120
from us it's one way straight something

572
00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:02,559
we give to the region

573
00:22:02,559 --> 00:22:04,640
no it's an investment that will of

574
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,880
course bring us very strong powerful

575
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,080
return to us

576
00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:11,520
from the region but also wider mr how do

577
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:12,320
you convince

578
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,840
uh those within the eu who are still

579
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,960
unconvinced um bulgaria for example

580
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:20,559
uh when it comes to this particular

581
00:22:20,559 --> 00:22:22,720
issue or other countries who are

582
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:27,360
still reticent to back the accession

583
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:28,799
how do you do it i mean you guys have

584
00:22:28,799 --> 00:22:31,440
tried well if it was so simple

585
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:33,200
we wouldn't discuss there here no there

586
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,799
you go we would already

587
00:22:34,799 --> 00:22:36,720
be starting negotiation with the

588
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,720
european union

589
00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,559
regarding the question what's the carrot

590
00:22:40,559 --> 00:22:41,919
i completely agree with

591
00:22:41,919 --> 00:22:45,360
uh miroslav what might be a carrot is

592
00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:47,120
the european way of life

593
00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,760
i mean why they want to join european

594
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:50,400
union

595
00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,360
it's because living standards are high

596
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:55,200
that's the community that's based on the

597
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:56,400
rule of law

598
00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,200
and we know how you know well advanced

599
00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,919
how the procedure are taking place

600
00:23:01,919 --> 00:23:03,039
and this is the question of

601
00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:05,120
decryptability of the european union so

602
00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:06,720
we settled the rules now we have to

603
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,120
fulfill the rules we have to

604
00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:11,760
be accountable on the rules we put

605
00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:12,799
forward

606
00:23:12,799 --> 00:23:16,559
so this is the question of

607
00:23:16,559 --> 00:23:19,600
27 more than the question of republic of

608
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,360
north macedonia

609
00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:25,200
and we will have to solve it within us

610
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,080
but as i said european union is based on

611
00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:29,200
the rule of law

612
00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,120
and we have a very strict

613
00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:33,200
decision-making process that requires

614
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,200
unanimity and unless we have all on

615
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:35,760
board

616
00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,200
we have no decision taken so from then

617
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:39,760
on

618
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,080
it's the question of the diplomacy how

619
00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:43,120
we do it and

620
00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:46,240
now this question of igc

621
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,520
intergovernmental conference is at the

622
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:50,000
cradle

623
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,240
of everything now so this is the main

624
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,559
issue everything is focused on this

625
00:23:54,559 --> 00:23:56,400
you know it reminds me like when you

626
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:57,760
have a small stone

627
00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,480
and you have a fence with a lot of you

628
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:01,760
know free space and

629
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,039
some sticks it in and when you throw it

630
00:24:05,039 --> 00:24:08,480
i mean almost every time you catch the

631
00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,840
the stick not the empty space why

632
00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,720
because you automatically focus yourself

633
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:15,919
on the target

634
00:24:15,919 --> 00:24:18,799
and it seems like you here when we all

635
00:24:18,799 --> 00:24:20,159
focus on igc

636
00:24:20,159 --> 00:24:22,080
and everything is concentrated on the

637
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,480
igc but igc is just you know like a

638
00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,159
procedural step forward of the political

639
00:24:28,159 --> 00:24:29,679
decision that was already

640
00:24:29,679 --> 00:24:33,039
adopted in march 2020 so

641
00:24:33,039 --> 00:24:36,720
it's not everything start and stop now

642
00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,120
but it just you know passage in the

643
00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:40,240
process that

644
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,840
will take some time and i think that the

645
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:44,159
the

646
00:24:44,159 --> 00:24:47,760
the task of the diplomacy now is

647
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,200
how to overcome now this focus and start

648
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,039
to talk about the real issues so

649
00:24:53,039 --> 00:24:56,400
how to reform on their own the

650
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,559
system of north macedonia an order that

651
00:24:58,559 --> 00:24:59,679
will fit

652
00:24:59,679 --> 00:25:02,559
for european union uh system and and

653
00:25:02,559 --> 00:25:04,880
this is in benefit of

654
00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,159
fellow citizens of of boyer

655
00:25:08,159 --> 00:25:12,159
in order they will get the most for the

656
00:25:12,159 --> 00:25:14,640
the membership will be just you know

657
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:15,840
final face

658
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,240
when we will all say yeah i mean they

659
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:19,679
fulfilled everything

660
00:25:19,679 --> 00:25:23,279
and he's one of us well while i wait for

661
00:25:23,279 --> 00:25:25,919
uh someone backstage to bring me uh the

662
00:25:25,919 --> 00:25:26,880
online

663
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:28,960
audience's questions um and the tablet

664
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,960
that requires me to

665
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,360
read it out i'd like to open the floor

666
00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:35,039
to all of you

667
00:25:35,039 --> 00:25:38,320
for your questions we of course have

668
00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,480
all of our mic handlers with with the

669
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,320
mics if you have a question please raise

670
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:43,279
your hand

671
00:25:43,279 --> 00:25:46,240
name organization and a question if i

672
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,919
can start with the gentleman

673
00:25:47,919 --> 00:25:50,960
here on my right

674
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,440
in the front row and then if i can get a

675
00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:54,559
question from

676
00:25:54,559 --> 00:25:56,559
the person at the back and here in the

677
00:25:56,559 --> 00:26:00,000
front as well so first person

678
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,799
mr ministers thank you for uh

679
00:26:02,799 --> 00:26:04,080
interesting points raised here i'm

680
00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:05,200
miracle gavin joshua

681
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:06,799
from the university of glasgow

682
00:26:06,799 --> 00:26:08,480
representing south european studies

683
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:09,200
program

684
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,200
so we include the western balkans in

685
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,039
southeast southeast europe at our

686
00:26:13,039 --> 00:26:14,000
university

687
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,320
my question is that um although the

688
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:17,200
skopje and

689
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,679
sophia are the closest capitals in the

690
00:26:19,679 --> 00:26:21,120
european union

691
00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:24,080
both remain pretty much disconnected uh

692
00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:25,919
you know there is neither a direct

693
00:26:25,919 --> 00:26:28,720
uh for instance director railway system

694
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,720
or nora highway connecting the

695
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,120
two countries how the european union

696
00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:35,120
sees itself

697
00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:37,279
in connecting or bridging the two

698
00:26:37,279 --> 00:26:38,159
nations

699
00:26:38,159 --> 00:26:40,480
because there are impending issues which

700
00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,320
uh derailed the start of the

701
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,360
uh negotiating accession negotiations

702
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:46,480
thank you

703
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:49,440
who wants to take that this is for me

704
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,520
yeah i guess

705
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:55,279
well this is true from skopje to sofia

706
00:26:55,279 --> 00:26:58,080
there are 200 kilometers average from

707
00:26:58,080 --> 00:26:59,279
skopje to tirana

708
00:26:59,279 --> 00:27:01,840
is the same 200 kilometers but to drive

709
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:03,760
from skopje to sofia you need five

710
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,720
hours and this is bad bad for people to

711
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:07,919
people contact

712
00:27:07,919 --> 00:27:11,200
bet for businesses but

713
00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,679
in connectivity was at the core of

714
00:27:13,679 --> 00:27:14,720
berlin process

715
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,679
connectivity is at the core of the new

716
00:27:17,679 --> 00:27:19,679
investment regional investment plan that

717
00:27:19,679 --> 00:27:21,200
was mentioned here by

718
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,360
a special representative of 9 billion

719
00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:25,039
with additional 20 billion

720
00:27:25,039 --> 00:27:27,840
of uh of cheap loans so we are working

721
00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:28,640
on that

722
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,960
the bilateral treaty that we signed with

723
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:34,320
bulgaria in 2017 was a turning point in

724
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:35,679
our relations

725
00:27:35,679 --> 00:27:39,520
the main pages of this agreement

726
00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,840
are about sectorial cooperation

727
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:43,039
unfortunately

728
00:27:43,039 --> 00:27:45,760
the impediments are in the historic and

729
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,120
identity issues

730
00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:49,679
but the agreement is about expanding

731
00:27:49,679 --> 00:27:51,120
sectoral cooperation

732
00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:54,159
and we are working on on that we are

733
00:27:54,159 --> 00:27:55,840
working on the railway which is part of

734
00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,080
corridor eight that links skopje to

735
00:27:58,080 --> 00:27:59,039
sofia

736
00:27:59,039 --> 00:28:02,640
uh 120 millions are grant from

737
00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,760
pre-accession funds and the rest is

738
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,520
a loan from ebrd and the dynamic is

739
00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,520
is going is going well the same is

740
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:12,960
happening on the

741
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,080
on the highway so this is the future

742
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,480
and it's important that we continue to

743
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,720
focus on connectivity and

744
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,520
infrastructure we have a question before

745
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:24,880
i go back to the audience

746
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,000
from um our online audience nanad

747
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,559
brings up the question of china which we

748
00:28:30,559 --> 00:28:31,679
can't avoid

749
00:28:31,679 --> 00:28:33,840
um asking how will china's growing

750
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,000
presence in the western balkans affect

751
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,159
the region in economic environmental and

752
00:28:38,159 --> 00:28:39,520
other terms

753
00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,080
i know a number of experts will say that

754
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,240
it is largely exaggerated in terms of

755
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:44,720
the

756
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,600
amounts of infrastructure and amount of

757
00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,039
investments that have come in a lot of

758
00:28:49,039 --> 00:28:51,039
promises made a lot of deals announced

759
00:28:51,039 --> 00:28:51,840
but

760
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,080
um it kind of fizzles out at the end of

761
00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:55,360
the day um

762
00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,760
where do you see this um if i can start

763
00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,720
with you mr electric um

764
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,279
is china's influence something to be

765
00:29:03,279 --> 00:29:04,799
exceedingly concerned about

766
00:29:04,799 --> 00:29:08,720
and will it change the region

767
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:10,960
i am not worried about the presence and

768
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:12,000
activities of

769
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,520
so-called third actors in the region

770
00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:15,440
first of all we do not own the western

771
00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:16,960
balkans it's legitimate that other

772
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,000
countries

773
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,679
are interested we know that

774
00:29:21,679 --> 00:29:23,760
no one has an offer that can beat the

775
00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,240
offer from the european union

776
00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,240
there are examples of chinese

777
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,000
investments in the region

778
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,080
and these are not happy examples go to

779
00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,080
montenegro and ask them about the

780
00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:35,679
about the project of the highway and the

781
00:29:35,679 --> 00:29:37,760
loan uh

782
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,720
there are other projects clearly uh the

783
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:41,520
the the

784
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,240
the financial conditions of of of their

785
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:45,679
loans are

786
00:29:45,679 --> 00:29:48,799
way more difficult and less beneficial

787
00:29:48,799 --> 00:29:50,080
than the one the ones from

788
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,279
the european union uh so as i said

789
00:29:53,279 --> 00:29:55,679
the the region is already embedded in

790
00:29:55,679 --> 00:29:57,760
the european economic and financial

791
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,200
uh space so this is not the this is

792
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,000
this is not a worry what what is our

793
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,120
worry is to complete

794
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:06,399
the integration the political

795
00:30:06,399 --> 00:30:08,399
integration of the western balkans and

796
00:30:08,399 --> 00:30:08,880
then

797
00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,760
of course the region is open to to any

798
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:13,440
other countries but

799
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:15,600
i i think that as i said the competition

800
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:17,520
will clearly show and already shows

801
00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,520
that the european uh european

802
00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:20,880
cooperation is the best cooperation they

803
00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:21,440
can have

804
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,200
would you all agree with that that

805
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,440
china's influence is nothing to worry

806
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:25,919
about

807
00:30:25,919 --> 00:30:28,799
including attempts to you know buy media

808
00:30:28,799 --> 00:30:30,559
companies etc

809
00:30:30,559 --> 00:30:32,799
i fully agree then with mr leichhardt

810
00:30:32,799 --> 00:30:33,760
actually

811
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:36,559
it's to some extent a methodology uh

812
00:30:36,559 --> 00:30:38,240
mythology

813
00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,760
um we should just not to uh

814
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,120
to respect the the fact that so

815
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:48,880
china is not enemy but we should

816
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:52,000
see uh and uh china is

817
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,120
as a partner and to to build

818
00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:57,360
among the european union however a

819
00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:58,880
partnership of course with

820
00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:00,960
with uh with china based on the rule of

821
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:02,000
law of course

822
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,880
competition actually uh based on the

823
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:05,840
european uh

824
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:09,360
values uh i'm

825
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,000
i also don't see that so that the

826
00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,000
influence of china and the western

827
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,159
balkans so that so it's something that

828
00:31:16,159 --> 00:31:17,279
should

829
00:31:17,279 --> 00:31:20,000
award us in among the european union

830
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:20,480
although

831
00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,679
all the chinese also um sometimes on the

832
00:31:23,679 --> 00:31:24,559
agenda of the

833
00:31:24,559 --> 00:31:26,880
of the council of the european union uh

834
00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:28,240
but of course um

835
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:33,360
there we have to uh to have um

836
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,519
economically or politically

837
00:31:37,519 --> 00:31:40,320
of course that it's in the part of the

838
00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:41,440
uh

839
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,120
world order china is the fact and but

840
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,320
it's something that uh it's not

841
00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,279
sold or influenced like it's going to be

842
00:31:51,279 --> 00:31:52,080
shown there

843
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,640
uh in the in europe in europe in the

844
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:55,519
world

845
00:31:55,519 --> 00:31:57,919
um so this of course there is in a

846
00:31:57,919 --> 00:31:59,279
format so called

847
00:31:59,279 --> 00:32:02,480
16 plus or 17 plus one but uh

848
00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,760
so our every country has an uh uh

849
00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:07,600
of course and the connections with

850
00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,519
china's and china

851
00:32:09,519 --> 00:32:13,440
uh helped us also during the epidemic

852
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,320
crisis it should not have been forgotten

853
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:16,880
also the

854
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:19,200
the the chinese rule uh in this very

855
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:20,399
very difficult time

856
00:32:20,399 --> 00:32:23,840
you know that so uh actually we are

857
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,200
the pandemic crisis forced us to adapt

858
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,320
to the new reality and uh

859
00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,000
we we we were just an uh

860
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,640
we are we tried to find a common

861
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:37,600
solution and

862
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,559
of course the china was also part of

863
00:32:40,559 --> 00:32:40,880
this

864
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:45,039
solution well when it comes to

865
00:32:45,039 --> 00:32:48,320
external factors i'm more worried about

866
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,240
their impact through soft power on

867
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,519
ideological cultural and religious basis

868
00:32:55,519 --> 00:32:57,840
through from moscow to to middle east

869
00:32:57,840 --> 00:32:58,799
rather than

870
00:32:58,799 --> 00:33:01,840
economic and financial incentive

871
00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:04,720
and also through hybrid threats and

872
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:05,600
attempts to

873
00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,840
permanently keep the region into a

874
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,640
destabilization mode

875
00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,679
financially as mr leichack said the

876
00:33:13,679 --> 00:33:17,200
offer from third parties is uncomparable

877
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,240
to the one that we have with eu we are

878
00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,480
as it was said an island surrounded by

879
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,480
eu and nato member states

880
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:28,640
our economy 85 is linked with eu

881
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,519
it's 10 10 to 15 percent within the

882
00:33:31,519 --> 00:33:32,159
region

883
00:33:32,159 --> 00:33:34,480
and it's only one percent with russia or

884
00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:35,360
china

885
00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,960
so i don't see it as a threat the first

886
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,600
phase of attempts through through loans

887
00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:42,799
in infrastructure

888
00:33:42,799 --> 00:33:45,519
failed in north macedonia the main

889
00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:46,240
highway

890
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,320
that was financed through chinese loan

891
00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:49,600
failed i think

892
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:51,919
it's causing a problem in montenegro and

893
00:33:51,919 --> 00:33:52,799
this is

894
00:33:52,799 --> 00:33:57,279
is creating a an inhibition to further

895
00:33:57,279 --> 00:33:59,600
continue with this so i would put

896
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:00,320
emphasis

897
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,320
on these two aspects cultural influence

898
00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:07,519
and hybrid hybrid threats

899
00:34:07,519 --> 00:34:10,399
mr loka

900
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,440
i would separate this question from the

901
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,320
topic we discussed before this

902
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:20,719
enlargement process where european

903
00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:24,079
union got it gave its promise and now

904
00:34:24,079 --> 00:34:27,280
should stick to the promise now we are

905
00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:28,960
talking about the other side so the

906
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,199
countries of the western balkans

907
00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:34,159
before they are entering european union

908
00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:35,440
they are you know

909
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,639
free countries they decide on their own

910
00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:41,599
but as well with their decision it's

911
00:34:41,599 --> 00:34:43,040
their policy mix

912
00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:46,000
they are showing so if their decisions

913
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,119
are

914
00:34:47,119 --> 00:34:50,639
complete um let's say

915
00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:54,639
opposite side as a foreign security

916
00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:56,879
policy decision of the european union

917
00:34:56,879 --> 00:34:59,040
well i see this is a problem yeah for

918
00:34:59,040 --> 00:34:59,920
sure

919
00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:02,160
and if someone wants to join and become

920
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:03,119
a member of

921
00:35:03,119 --> 00:35:06,160
european union that it's uh

922
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,640
let's say based on the rule of law and

923
00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:11,040
uh common principles

924
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,320
i guess it had to show as well with its

925
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,440
decisions within the you know this

926
00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,400
geostrategical pool of

927
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,599
political decisions so uh one

928
00:35:21,599 --> 00:35:25,119
one cannot just you know easily

929
00:35:25,119 --> 00:35:27,760
throw away the question of the

930
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:29,760
possibility of thirst parties

931
00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:32,880
entering the region but it's not the

932
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,680
sole responsibility of european union

933
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,839
it's as well responsibility of the

934
00:35:37,839 --> 00:35:40,480
countries of the western balkans

935
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,680
but in order to have them on board as i

936
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:45,119
said the precondition is

937
00:35:45,119 --> 00:35:47,680
that the european union sticks to its

938
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:48,480
promises

939
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,520
so everything is interconnected but

940
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:54,800
both parts bears its share of their

941
00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:55,599
policy

942
00:35:55,599 --> 00:35:57,599
making it'll be interesting to see how

943
00:35:57,599 --> 00:35:59,280
that plays out i would like to take a

944
00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:00,880
question from the gentleman

945
00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:03,920
in the middle seat here please and then

946
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:06,320
move on

947
00:36:10,079 --> 00:36:12,000
good afternoon my name is samuel i'm

948
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,640
from boston i'm here with the um

949
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,599
globsec young leaders cohort um i'm

950
00:36:17,599 --> 00:36:19,280
honestly a bit surprised and and

951
00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:20,560
disappointed that there are no more

952
00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,160
western balkan representatives here on

953
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:22,480
the

954
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:24,880
um on the panel including for example

955
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:26,160
representatives from

956
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,359
kosovo who cannot whose citizens cannot

957
00:36:29,359 --> 00:36:31,920
move freely throughout schengen area

958
00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,520
which is another issue i would like to

959
00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:35,359
emphasize here i'm here with 10 of my

960
00:36:35,359 --> 00:36:36,079
colleagues

961
00:36:36,079 --> 00:36:38,400
from the region we should have been 12

962
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,320
however two of our friends colleagues

963
00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:42,160
could not travel from kosovo

964
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,040
in schengen because of um visa

965
00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:46,800
liberalization problems

966
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:50,160
so my question here is when is eu

967
00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,280
going to enable visa free travel for

968
00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,760
um cost of our citizens because again

969
00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:57,839
the cost of our government has delivered

970
00:36:57,839 --> 00:37:00,800
in this case the eu has not delivered on

971
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:01,599
its promise

972
00:37:01,599 --> 00:37:03,680
and i'm not asking this only because of

973
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,119
my cost of our friends i'm asking

974
00:37:05,119 --> 00:37:05,680
because

975
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,560
of why should my country officials

976
00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:10,720
corrupt officials in bosnia

977
00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:12,640
trust eu officials next time when they

978
00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:13,760
tell them to

979
00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:15,599
deliver knowing what happened to north

980
00:37:15,599 --> 00:37:17,200
macedonia what happened to

981
00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:19,359
kosovo thank you for your question um i

982
00:37:19,359 --> 00:37:23,599
think mr hijack that's yours

983
00:37:23,599 --> 00:37:25,520
look if you don't trust go somewhere

984
00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:26,720
else if you think you have a better

985
00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:27,440
option

986
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:29,280
the european union is never begging

987
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,119
anyone to to join i think it's the

988
00:37:31,119 --> 00:37:31,839
strategic

989
00:37:31,839 --> 00:37:34,560
choice of your guys to want to join the

990
00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:36,000
european let's be clear about it as the

991
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,119
point number one

992
00:37:37,119 --> 00:37:40,240
point number two the cr the issue of

993
00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:42,400
visa liberalization by the way andre and

994
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,160
i were in a different panel in a

995
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:45,200
different place

996
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,119
last week and the foreign minister of

997
00:37:47,119 --> 00:37:49,119
kosovo was with us so there are

998
00:37:49,119 --> 00:37:52,960
many opportunities where we interact

999
00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,680
yes it is a painful issue the fact is

1000
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:56,960
that kosovo has been

1001
00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:00,720
left alone in the last

1002
00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:04,880
in europe without visa-free regime

1003
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:08,960
and and the fact also is that uh

1004
00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:12,800
european commission said already in 2018

1005
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,280
that they fulfilled the criteria

1006
00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:16,880
european parliament said that they

1007
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:18,400
fulfilled the criteria and should get

1008
00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:19,440
the

1009
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:23,200
the visa free regime but the body that

1010
00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:26,320
decides is the european council which

1011
00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:26,640
means

1012
00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,320
27 member states which the which

1013
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:31,839
delivers decisions on the basis of

1014
00:38:31,839 --> 00:38:34,480
consensus and there is no consensus

1015
00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,599
so this is what it is uh i really i get

1016
00:38:37,599 --> 00:38:40,800
slightly annoyed when i say that

1017
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,640
eu has failed and delivered on its

1018
00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:44,800
promise this is not about delivering it

1019
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:47,359
i i strategically we should do better in

1020
00:38:47,359 --> 00:38:49,200
integration but when it comes to

1021
00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,040
to the visas there are member states who

1022
00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:52,560
have questions

1023
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:54,000
and these questions are not of

1024
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,320
ideological nature these questions are

1025
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,359
simply related to their security to

1026
00:38:59,359 --> 00:39:01,280
guarantees that the visa regime will not

1027
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:01,839
be

1028
00:39:01,839 --> 00:39:05,599
misused for illegal work overstaying you

1029
00:39:05,599 --> 00:39:06,400
know

1030
00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:08,720
you name it so that's why instead of

1031
00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:09,599
going

1032
00:39:09,599 --> 00:39:11,280
around bashing the european union for

1033
00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:12,720
not delivering its promise

1034
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:14,640
it's better to go to those member states

1035
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,359
and ask how can we convince you

1036
00:39:17,359 --> 00:39:19,520
what do you want to hear from us what

1037
00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,119
guarantees should we present

1038
00:39:21,119 --> 00:39:23,599
to make sure that once we will grant the

1039
00:39:23,599 --> 00:39:24,480
green light

1040
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,320
it will not be misused this is the right

1041
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:28,640
approach going around and criticizing

1042
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,320
european union which is now the fashion

1043
00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:31,680
in the region

1044
00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:34,160
really does not help does not help ms

1045
00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:35,119
lecher yesterday

1046
00:39:35,119 --> 00:39:38,400
you uh you talked about the fact that um

1047
00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,160
there's been progress in the dialogue

1048
00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:41,599
there's a commitment from serbia and

1049
00:39:41,599 --> 00:39:42,000
kosovo

1050
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:43,680
to normalize relations in a

1051
00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:45,440
comprehensive way

1052
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,320
i have been following your twitter um

1053
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:49,839
but is that simply

1054
00:39:49,839 --> 00:39:51,359
rhetoric because we've been down this

1055
00:39:51,359 --> 00:39:54,240
road before it's a complicated situation

1056
00:39:54,240 --> 00:39:57,520
um we've had um you know

1057
00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,200
things happen in washington in the last

1058
00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:01,839
couple of years that took us nowhere

1059
00:40:01,839 --> 00:40:04,319
where is it realistically what is the

1060
00:40:04,319 --> 00:40:06,079
expectation realistically

1061
00:40:06,079 --> 00:40:10,160
um for where this dialogue's headed

1062
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,000
what does comprehensive even mean now

1063
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,440
very clear that

1064
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:16,640
uh the status quo

1065
00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:18,240
that exists between serbia and kosovo

1066
00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:20,480
holds the entire region back

1067
00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:22,640
and therefore we need to normalize

1068
00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:23,680
relations and this is

1069
00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:25,200
the process that the european union has

1070
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:26,960
been facilitating

1071
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,520
and uh it's extremely sensitive and

1072
00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:31,200
difficult challenging

1073
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:32,880
yesterday in brussels we had the first

1074
00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:34,400
meeting between

1075
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,800
uh president vouche and the newcastle

1076
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:38,000
prime minister kurti

1077
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,359
it was not easy at all but what was

1078
00:40:41,359 --> 00:40:42,400
important is that

1079
00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:45,200
both parties committed to the process

1080
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,200
both parties committed to the

1081
00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,319
need to normalize the relations and

1082
00:40:50,319 --> 00:40:52,000
they also committed to continue the

1083
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:53,440
process of course they

1084
00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:55,680
their expectations from the processes

1085
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:57,680
are very different

1086
00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,680
and it it is an uphill battle

1087
00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,839
but it is as i said in the interest of

1088
00:41:03,839 --> 00:41:05,599
the entire region in the first place and

1089
00:41:05,599 --> 00:41:06,800
of course in the interest of european

1090
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:07,920
union so there is no

1091
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:09,520
alternative to this process and we will

1092
00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:10,960
continue investing

1093
00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,280
time and efforts and energy into helping

1094
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:14,319
them to

1095
00:41:14,319 --> 00:41:18,079
to find the the the future

1096
00:41:18,079 --> 00:41:20,160
status of their relations that will

1097
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:21,680
really help to move the entire region

1098
00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:22,319
forward

1099
00:41:22,319 --> 00:41:24,560
i want to get both of your perspectives

1100
00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:25,839
and i think uh mr

1101
00:41:25,839 --> 00:41:27,599
minister admin i'd like to start with

1102
00:41:27,599 --> 00:41:29,839
you and also uh the rest of you

1103
00:41:29,839 --> 00:41:32,839
about what's going on in that region and

1104
00:41:32,839 --> 00:41:35,440
how comprehensive

1105
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:38,480
relations and development can happen so

1106
00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:39,440
first of all

1107
00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:42,560
croatia was uh the first country in

1108
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,160
slovenia as well so as

1109
00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:48,160
i mentioned it we are published issued

1110
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:48,400
an

1111
00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:50,240
unknown paper on bosnia herzegovina

1112
00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:52,880
signed by uh five other countries

1113
00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:56,000
but uh when it comes to kosovo um

1114
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:59,599
okay we are just initiated under fsc

1115
00:41:59,599 --> 00:42:02,160
uh the comprehensive debate on western

1116
00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:04,000
western balkans and we

1117
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,200
did actually in uh last last month

1118
00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:10,640
and we are going also to speak uh on

1119
00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:11,839
another fac

1120
00:42:11,839 --> 00:42:14,880
uh sometimes in in july but when it

1121
00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:15,280
comes

1122
00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:18,480
uh to kosovo uh for the first

1123
00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:20,720
time in my life as a minister i recently

1124
00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:22,800
visited uh visited kosovo

1125
00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,040
and i was impressed with the talks with

1126
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:26,319
our with the leadership

1127
00:42:26,319 --> 00:42:29,920
in kosovo and uh actually i see that uh

1128
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:33,359
i spoke to them and they were not so

1129
00:42:33,359 --> 00:42:36,960
um happy with this order first

1130
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,319
dialogue belgrade prisoner and then

1131
00:42:40,319 --> 00:42:45,119
miserably liberated

1132
00:42:45,119 --> 00:42:48,319
so our their proposal uh is and uh first

1133
00:42:48,319 --> 00:42:50,560
visa liberalization and we strongly

1134
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:51,440
support it

1135
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:53,520
uh from creation point of view they

1136
00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:54,640
deserve it

1137
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,760
to also to to go abroad and to have

1138
00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,040
passports and

1139
00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:02,000
to be uh just to to shun the free

1140
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:03,040
movement uh

1141
00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:05,520
uh in the european union and it could

1142
00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,280
just relax

1143
00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:10,319
relax the the better dialogue between

1144
00:43:10,319 --> 00:43:13,520
uh belgium but even more

1145
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:16,800
croatia is also via encouraged on the

1146
00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:17,839
face

1147
00:43:17,839 --> 00:43:19,839
uh our countries you know that so there

1148
00:43:19,839 --> 00:43:20,880
are five countries

1149
00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:23,119
and the european union do not recognize

1150
00:43:23,119 --> 00:43:25,359
the independence insurance of kosovo

1151
00:43:25,359 --> 00:43:28,800
i think it's the ones we are uh

1152
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:31,119
among the european union have the the

1153
00:43:31,119 --> 00:43:33,280
same approach towards kosovo

1154
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,240
i think so that the future of kosovo is

1155
00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:38,079
there

1156
00:43:38,079 --> 00:43:40,800
yeah first i would like to compliment on

1157
00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:41,119
what

1158
00:43:41,119 --> 00:43:44,640
uh mr admon said that

1159
00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:46,560
visa liberalization for kosovo is

1160
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:47,920
important because

1161
00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:50,720
uh it's part of the conditionality that

1162
00:43:50,720 --> 00:43:51,200
i was

1163
00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,520
talking before so if you say to a

1164
00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,280
country that if you deliver

1165
00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,839
we will deliver and then you fail to

1166
00:43:57,839 --> 00:43:59,280
deliver on that

1167
00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:01,920
then it cause it has a consequences and

1168
00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,160
ramifications further for the

1169
00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:05,920
for the region and therefore in

1170
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:07,440
principle is important

1171
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:09,200
without going into details who is

1172
00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:10,640
against and who is what

1173
00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:12,560
but in regards to the region i would say

1174
00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:14,400
there are two competing

1175
00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:16,880
visions for the region one is the

1176
00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:18,240
european one

1177
00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:20,720
which means more democracy more

1178
00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:21,520
cooperation

1179
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:24,560
more trade more rule of law and

1180
00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:27,839
less border and the com the other vision

1181
00:44:27,839 --> 00:44:28,480
which is

1182
00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:32,560
more borders maybe optionally on ethnic

1183
00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:33,839
basis and we know

1184
00:44:33,839 --> 00:44:37,800
what this debate cost us in

1185
00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:41,359
1990s and here i don't think we should

1186
00:44:41,359 --> 00:44:43,280
take for granted the success we have

1187
00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:44,000
achieved

1188
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,319
and we have achieved only because of

1189
00:44:46,319 --> 00:44:48,000
that european perspective and the

1190
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,359
european fuel

1191
00:44:49,359 --> 00:44:52,000
the region that was 20 years ago in war

1192
00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:53,200
trenches

1193
00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:55,599
last year within our presidency with the

1194
00:44:55,599 --> 00:44:56,880
berlin process

1195
00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,920
we signed in sofia a common regional

1196
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:00,800
market

1197
00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:03,440
a market of 18 million people without

1198
00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:04,000
borders

1199
00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:06,800
without tariffs with four freedoms

1200
00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:07,839
included

1201
00:45:07,839 --> 00:45:11,440
in it and this is a huge success

1202
00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:14,960
so the current law point

1203
00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:17,520
in the relations between the eu and the

1204
00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:18,880
western balkans

1205
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:21,040
i would try i'm trying to see it as a

1206
00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:22,160
segment

1207
00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:24,880
in the relations between us it's not a

1208
00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:26,079
constant

1209
00:45:26,079 --> 00:45:29,200
our road to eu is an irreversible

1210
00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:30,000
process

1211
00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:32,960
it started in 2001 confirmed with the

1212
00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:34,960
saloniki pledges for

1213
00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:38,079
membership and the association process

1214
00:45:38,079 --> 00:45:40,400
is going is going there it's an

1215
00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:41,440
amplitude

1216
00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:43,599
that we need to work on in order to

1217
00:45:43,599 --> 00:45:45,520
continue the path

1218
00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:47,920
we had one more question uh from the

1219
00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:49,440
audience could you make it very quick

1220
00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:51,280
and to whom you're addressing it too as

1221
00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:52,319
well

1222
00:45:52,319 --> 00:45:55,920
we only have about five minutes left

1223
00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:57,359
thank you uh it's a very precise

1224
00:45:57,359 --> 00:45:59,200
question for minister osmani

1225
00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:01,280
minister osmani if the eu tomorrow

1226
00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:02,400
offered uh

1227
00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:04,560
north macedonia to sign an accession

1228
00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:05,839
treaty within

1229
00:46:05,839 --> 00:46:07,839
a period of five years an accession

1230
00:46:07,839 --> 00:46:09,359
treaty which would for a temporary

1231
00:46:09,359 --> 00:46:10,319
period

1232
00:46:10,319 --> 00:46:13,040
uh ensure grant north macedonia

1233
00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:13,760
membership

1234
00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:15,920
but membership with some reduced rights

1235
00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:17,040
reduced rights

1236
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,200
in a temporary like let's say with some

1237
00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:20,720
derogations and

1238
00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:23,440
provisions for more gradual accession

1239
00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:24,319
over time

1240
00:46:24,319 --> 00:46:26,880
with post membership conditionalities

1241
00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:28,240
clear conditionalities for north

1242
00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:30,240
macedonia to enter deeper

1243
00:46:30,240 --> 00:46:33,040
uh layers of membership would you be uh

1244
00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:35,440
against or for that

1245
00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:39,040
this is a very sensitive debate since

1246
00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:41,520
if i say yes that would mean that we are

1247
00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:43,040
quitting our ambition for full

1248
00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:44,319
membership

1249
00:46:44,319 --> 00:46:46,640
but i will be on i will be honest with

1250
00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:47,440
you

1251
00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,400
it's not the main most important

1252
00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:51,200
priority

1253
00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:53,280
of the citizens of the western balkan to

1254
00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:54,560
have a commissioner

1255
00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:57,760
in eu commission or to have an e

1256
00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:00,720
more eu parliamentarians or to have a

1257
00:47:00,720 --> 00:47:02,000
right to veto

1258
00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:05,280
eu foreign policies their ambition is to

1259
00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:05,599
have

1260
00:47:05,599 --> 00:47:08,400
access to responsibilities and

1261
00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:09,119
privileges

1262
00:47:09,119 --> 00:47:12,240
of the common market of the for freedom

1263
00:47:12,240 --> 00:47:16,560
to have access to to sustainable grants

1264
00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:19,599
to have access to

1265
00:47:19,599 --> 00:47:22,400
to cheap loans development loans in

1266
00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:22,960
order to

1267
00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:24,640
improve their living standard to have

1268
00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:26,720
the opportunity to travel freely

1269
00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:30,160
to educate their children in

1270
00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:31,760
eu countries and i think this is the

1271
00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:34,000
first and foremost ambitions that we

1272
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:34,319
need

1273
00:47:34,319 --> 00:47:37,280
to work on the new methodology envisages

1274
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:38,079
this

1275
00:47:38,079 --> 00:47:40,559
opportunity that there will be a phase

1276
00:47:40,559 --> 00:47:41,440
in

1277
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:44,480
uh access to different programs

1278
00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:46,720
of eu as long as you meet certain

1279
00:47:46,720 --> 00:47:48,800
criteria you close some chapters

1280
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,599
or or clusters but it's important to

1281
00:47:51,599 --> 00:47:52,000
start

1282
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:54,079
the process the problem here with the

1283
00:47:54,079 --> 00:47:55,359
credibility

1284
00:47:55,359 --> 00:47:58,000
is because of the symbolism of not

1285
00:47:58,000 --> 00:47:59,040
moving forward

1286
00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:01,040
and i said at the beginning i know that

1287
00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:02,559
we will not join

1288
00:48:02,559 --> 00:48:06,720
eu soon and maybe not even in this

1289
00:48:06,720 --> 00:48:10,000
in this setting the problem is that the

1290
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:10,480
symbol

1291
00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:13,920
symbolic that has created the dossier of

1292
00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:15,200
north macedonia

1293
00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:17,839
by waiting 16 years just to start the

1294
00:48:17,839 --> 00:48:18,720
process

1295
00:48:18,720 --> 00:48:21,280
it's hitting hardly the credibility of

1296
00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:22,079
the process

1297
00:48:22,079 --> 00:48:23,920
and credibility is the fuel and

1298
00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:25,359
credibility is the glue that i was

1299
00:48:25,359 --> 00:48:27,040
talking about

1300
00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:29,520
that brings me to my final question to

1301
00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:30,960
all of you because we have

1302
00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:34,319
run out of time um at times when you

1303
00:48:34,319 --> 00:48:35,119
look at the

1304
00:48:35,119 --> 00:48:37,200
region you think that we are looking at

1305
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:40,079
a 1990s problem with the 1990s mindset

1306
00:48:40,079 --> 00:48:42,079
looking for 1990s solutions

1307
00:48:42,079 --> 00:48:45,839
this is 2021. um we are still talking

1308
00:48:45,839 --> 00:48:47,760
about redrawing borders

1309
00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:49,680
in terms of some papers that came out

1310
00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:51,520
we're talking about concerns about rule

1311
00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:51,760
of

1312
00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:54,000
law that you have all brought up we are

1313
00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:55,440
talking about uh

1314
00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:58,319
numbers where uh polls have suggested

1315
00:48:58,319 --> 00:48:59,359
that many people

1316
00:48:59,359 --> 00:49:02,160
within the region prefer an autocratic

1317
00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:03,440
system of government

1318
00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:05,359
governance rather than democratic which

1319
00:49:05,359 --> 00:49:07,119
leads to a gap in eu

1320
00:49:07,119 --> 00:49:09,200
value systems and what's going on in the

1321
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:10,319
region

1322
00:49:10,319 --> 00:49:13,520
from your perspective um do we need

1323
00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:18,640
a new 2021 or 2020s

1324
00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:21,359
way of approaching the region and how we

1325
00:49:21,359 --> 00:49:23,760
resolve the issues to finally

1326
00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:26,960
say we can put the past in the past mr

1327
00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:30,640
leichick you want to start

1328
00:49:30,640 --> 00:49:34,079
yes i think we need

1329
00:49:34,079 --> 00:49:35,839
this new approach because the fact is

1330
00:49:35,839 --> 00:49:38,240
that nowadays we have

1331
00:49:38,240 --> 00:49:41,839
problem to

1332
00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:44,400
adopt the same language that we adopted

1333
00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:46,480
15 years ago

1334
00:49:46,480 --> 00:49:47,599
that means we are not moving in the

1335
00:49:47,599 --> 00:49:52,160
right direction we also need to

1336
00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:54,720
see the big picture as i said we are

1337
00:49:54,720 --> 00:49:55,920
lost in

1338
00:49:55,920 --> 00:49:57,520
in this bureaucratic language in

1339
00:49:57,520 --> 00:49:59,760
chapters and clusters and corruption and

1340
00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:00,960
rule of law

1341
00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:03,119
and we don't see people we don't see

1342
00:50:03,119 --> 00:50:04,480
people's hopes

1343
00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:06,240
and the hopes that are linked to

1344
00:50:06,240 --> 00:50:07,520
european union

1345
00:50:07,520 --> 00:50:10,720
we don't see the picture of european

1346
00:50:10,720 --> 00:50:11,359
continent

1347
00:50:11,359 --> 00:50:14,319
with western balkans being part of us of

1348
00:50:14,319 --> 00:50:16,400
our value system

1349
00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:18,640
or europe with western balkans would be

1350
00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:20,720
part of a different system what would it

1351
00:50:20,720 --> 00:50:22,079
mean for us

1352
00:50:22,079 --> 00:50:25,599
and as i already said in my first

1353
00:50:25,599 --> 00:50:28,880
entry that we also don't see

1354
00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:31,200
the region as a part of our own

1355
00:50:31,200 --> 00:50:33,200
demonstration of ability to

1356
00:50:33,200 --> 00:50:36,000
to be a global player so this is this is

1357
00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:37,920
missing in our discussion so

1358
00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:41,760
uh it is first and foremost a political

1359
00:50:41,760 --> 00:50:42,880
process

1360
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:44,640
and we and we must not get lost in

1361
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:47,359
technicalities of this political process

1362
00:50:47,359 --> 00:50:48,640
well i've been told that we're running

1363
00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:51,119
out of time so very very quickly if i

1364
00:50:51,119 --> 00:50:52,720
can get in a sentence

1365
00:50:52,720 --> 00:50:54,640
quickly what you what each one of you

1366
00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:57,200
thinks is a 2020 solution

1367
00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,319
to this issue to move it along quickly

1368
00:51:00,319 --> 00:51:05,680
well it's our presidency there you go

1369
00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:08,559
we will do our utmost but as i said this

1370
00:51:08,559 --> 00:51:10,000
is the problem of

1371
00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:13,200
27 member state and as well

1372
00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:16,800
uh it's a green light from all of

1373
00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:18,880
us to to proceed so i think we just need

1374
00:51:18,880 --> 00:51:19,920
to move

1375
00:51:19,920 --> 00:51:22,000
forward when we move forward one or the

1376
00:51:22,000 --> 00:51:23,920
other way i think that

1377
00:51:23,920 --> 00:51:26,960
we'll go through the to the final line

1378
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:29,359
mr admin yeah we support eu presidents

1379
00:51:29,359 --> 00:51:31,440
of slovenia as our

1380
00:51:31,440 --> 00:51:34,480
neighbor of course but uh so uh we have

1381
00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:35,920
to have a you know there are six

1382
00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:37,920
countries they are different countries

1383
00:51:37,920 --> 00:51:40,319
and we have to earn a separately a pro

1384
00:51:40,319 --> 00:51:42,800
approach towards each a country

1385
00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:45,599
first of all territorial integrity in

1386
00:51:45,599 --> 00:51:46,640
the region is very

1387
00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:50,079
very important it it must be precept and

1388
00:51:50,079 --> 00:51:50,480
and

1389
00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:53,480
protected uh secondly our junior

1390
00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:55,680
reconciliation in the region is very

1391
00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:58,720
very important just not to uh uh

1392
00:51:58,720 --> 00:52:00,720
it must be somehow established and

1393
00:52:00,720 --> 00:52:02,079
bosnia has a governor

1394
00:52:02,079 --> 00:52:04,960
we haven't spoke on this issue it's very

1395
00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:06,240
it's multi-ethnical

1396
00:52:06,240 --> 00:52:08,079
society and we take three years and

1397
00:52:08,079 --> 00:52:10,079
stable institutions for

1398
00:52:10,079 --> 00:52:12,800
functional bosnia herzegovina uh

1399
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:14,240
deserves also our

1400
00:52:14,240 --> 00:52:16,839
uh attention when it comes to the

1401
00:52:16,839 --> 00:52:18,160
constitutional are

1402
00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:19,680
actually equality of the three

1403
00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:21,200
constitution people

1404
00:52:21,200 --> 00:52:23,520
uh based on their dating parish

1405
00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:24,400
agreement

1406
00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:26,160
and constitution as well yes there's

1407
00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:29,119
money final word final sentence

1408
00:52:29,119 --> 00:52:30,880
north massa there was a comparative

1409
00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:32,240
analysis by eu

1410
00:52:32,240 --> 00:52:35,920
and takes talking the situation with all

1411
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:37,839
western balkan countries north macedonia

1412
00:52:37,839 --> 00:52:39,280
is first in the region in meeting

1413
00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:40,319
political criteria

1414
00:52:40,319 --> 00:52:43,440
in meeting economic criteria 40

1415
00:52:43,440 --> 00:52:46,480
40 of the eu are keys already transposed

1416
00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:48,319
in our domestic legislation

1417
00:52:48,319 --> 00:52:51,040
94 alignment with eu common foreign

1418
00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:52,480
security policy

1419
00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:54,880
the timing is now to start the accession

1420
00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:57,599
talk and 2021 should be the answer

1421
00:52:57,599 --> 00:53:00,480
to it we hope during the portuguese

1422
00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:01,200
presidency

1423
00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:04,400
just next week in tuesday if not

1424
00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:06,720
we support slovenian presidency well

1425
00:53:06,720 --> 00:53:08,559
that's a good note to end on gentlemen

1426
00:53:08,559 --> 00:53:09,920
thank you very much please give a round

1427
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:11,760
of applause to a difficult conversation

1428
00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:15,839
done in 55 minutes

1429
00:53:16,079 --> 00:53:18,319
i