President Begaj was part of the Presidents’ panel discussion at the Prespa Forum Dialogue

As part of the participation in the third edition of the Prespa Forum for Dialogue, the President of the Republic, H.E.Mr. Bajram Begaj, participated in the session “Peace and Democracy versus War and Autocracy”. In this session, the President of North Macedonia, Mr. Stevo Pendarovski, NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, as well as the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, were invited. In his remarks, President Begaj appreciated the positive effects produced by the Prespa Agreement, not only for the normalization of relations between North Macedonia and Greece, but above all for North Macedonia's NATO membership and the expansion of Euro-Atlantic security space. President Begaj considered the courage and vision of the leaders who reached this agreement a very good example for the entire region. Also, referring to the brutal, unprovoked, and unjustified Russian military aggression in Ukraine, he underlined that the effects of this aggression are multiple, highlighting the direct effect on the Western Balkans region. Referring to Kosovo and the public agreement reached in Ohrid between Kosovo and Serbia, President Begaj underlined that today no one can question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, as Kosovo is an irreversible political reality. Meanwhile, referring to the Prespa agreement, President Begaj underlined that it is the right time for the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to undertake their historic responsibilities, to advance the process of reconciliation and normalization of relations between them. President Begaj also assesed the current geopolitical developments and their influence on the democratization processes, underlining that we have learned from history that democracy is not irreversible, and the lack of immediate and coordinated tolerance, or inaction in defense of democratic institutions and values makes the slide from democracy to autocracy just a matter of time. In conclusion, President Begaj called for the delivery of a joint message of the leaders from this forum, underlining that regardless of geopolitical situations, the future of the region will be in the European and Euro-Atlantic family.