Kostic: Cooperation between Serbia and North Macedonia is beneficial not only for the region but also for Europe

Despite differing views on the issue of Kosovo, the development of bilateral cooperation between Serbia and North Macedonia is beneficial not only for the two countries themselves but also for the entire Western Balkans region, and even for Europe as a whole, Mijat Kostic, associate of the New Third Way initiative, told Kosovo Online.

"Bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Macedonia contributes to the broader geographical and economic integration not only of the region but of all of Europe," Kostic stated.

Exactly one year ago, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, held their first meeting and agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in all areas.

Kostic says that, in the meantime, several important steps forward have been made in that cooperation.

"Unfortunately, the first indication of that cooperation was visible this March, when members of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs participated in the evacuation and treatment of injured persons after the accident in North Macedonia. Those injured were later treated in Serbian hospitals, which is one indicator of the functionality of this cooperation. Sadly, it took a tragedy for that cooperation to be seen in action," Kostic emphasized.

In a nightclub fire in Kocani on March 16, 62 people died, and more than 200 were injured.

Due to the tragedy, the Government of Serbia declared March 18 a Day of Mourning, and most of the injured were treated in Serbian hospitals with the engagement of the Ministries of Defense and Health.

Kostic points out that last month, an additional bilateral cooperation agreement was signed between the border police of Serbia and North Macedonia.

"A 'one-stop' border crossing system was introduced, meaning that if you are crossing the border at Presevo or Tabanovce, there will be only one checkpoint instead of two. This facilitates not only tourism but also the flow of goods and capital, in line with the Open Balkan agreement, which aims for regional economic integration," Kostic said.

He believes the completion of Corridor 10 will further enhance this cooperation.

"The plan is to expand the section, particularly between Nis and Skopje, which will connect not only the Western Balkans but also strengthen the connection between European countries and North Macedonia, providing geographic access from both Hungary and Greece," Kostic explained.

He also believes that relations between the two countries should be further developed on the diplomatic level, especially since North Macedonia is one of the regional countries that has recognized Kosovo and voted in favor of its UNESCO membership.

"We see that, diplomatically, Serbia likely has extra motivation to influence North Macedonia's stance on these issues," the analyst said.

He also highlights that cooperation has improved with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) recognizing the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

"There had been a schism since 1967 when the Macedonian Orthodox Church separated from the SOC, and for decades, the SOC did not recognize its autocephaly. This ended in 2022, with a major ceremony at the Temple of Saint Sava where the SOC formally recognized the Macedonian Orthodox Church’s independence. We now see that economic and political agreements, as well as those related to cultural cooperation, are helping to improve relations between the two countries, and by extension, relations across the entire region," Kostic noted.

He added that a key boost for deepening relations in the near future will come from the EU's renewed push for accelerated enlargement in the Western Balkans.

Kostic is convinced that despite the “points of contention” between Serbia and North Macedonia, especially regarding Kosovo, this is not seen as a major obstacle to joint integration.

He notes that Chapter 35 adds further uncertainty, as it is unclear whether Serbia’s EU membership will depend on de facto, but not de jure, recognition of Kosovo.

"In that context, Serbia and North Macedonia have different positions. On one hand, Serbia’s Constitution defines Kosovo as an autonomous province within Serbia, while North Macedonia has recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. That is one of the sticking points. But given that some past issues, such as the church schism, have been resolved after decades, I’m convinced that with diplomatic or bilateral agreements, other disagreements can also be resolved quickly if both countries genuinely commit to supporting one another in the integration process," Kostic emphasized.

He is confident there is diplomatic will for that.

"And this doesn’t apply only to North Macedonia but to other Western Balkan countries as well. This form of bilateral agreement will be increasingly intensified in the next few years," Kostic concluded.