State Secretary Grašič visits Skopje and Pristina to underline importance of EU integration for the Western Balkans

State Secretary Neva Grašič visited Skopje with the Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve

The working visit provided an opportunity to review the challenges facing North Macedonia and Kosovo on their respective paths towards EU membership. During the visit, State Secretary Grašič and Federal Minister Plakolm emphasised the importance of the European perspective for the region's overall development, urging their hosts to work together to overcome challenges and to create an environment conducive to sustainable growth and the well-being of all citizens, especially young people.

In Skopje, the State Secretary held bilateral meetings with Afrim Gashi, President of the Assembly of North Macedonia, Orhan Murteza, Minister of European Affairs, and Zoran Dimitrovski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. She reaffirmed Slovenia's support for North Macedonia's path towards EU membership and welcomed the adoption of reforms in the fields of justice and the environment, noting that these highly complex areas pose significant challenges for all candidate countries. Following the local elections in October, she expressed hope that North Macedonia would accelerate its efforts to advance in the enlargement process and announced Slovenia's support for four NGO projects in North Macedonia for the 2026-2028 period, with each project being eligible for funding of up to half a million euros over three years. The projects focus on environmental protection, water management and sustainable infrastructure, and include a gender equality component, which is a priority for Slovenia's development cooperation.

In Pristina, the State Secretary met with Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo, and Besnik Bislimi, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo. During the talks, she reaffirmed Slovenia's support for Kosovo's EU accession and stressed that the country's progress in recent years should now also be reflected in this area. She assured her hosts that Slovenia will continue to advocate for Kosovo's EU membership, adding that this endeavour would be considerably more successful if Kosovo continued to implement reforms in the field of the rule of law.

During the visit, State Secretary Grašič also met with Aivo Orav, Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, and Giovanni Pietro Barban, Head of the EULEX Mission in Kosovo. The discussions focused on the current political situation and on relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The State Secretary called for the earliest possible normalisation of relations, underlining that any unilateral actions would only further exacerbate the complex situation. She stressed the importance of respecting existing agreements and reiterated Slovenia's ongoing support for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.