North Macedonia hopes Azerbaijan will understand and sign peace treaty with Armenia at last, says Deputy FM Dimitrovski

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. North Macedonia hopes Azerbaijan signs the peace treaty with Armenia, the North Macedonian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Zoran Dimitrovski has said. 

“We would like peaceful resolution of whole situation. And we are hoping that as soon as possible the peace accord will be signed,” Deputy Minister Dimitrovski told Armenpress during Yerevan Dialogue 2024 when asked about the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reiterated that Armenia is ready to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan under the terms that have been agreed upon so far during the talks. 

Speaking about the relationship between Armenia and North Macedonia, Dimitrovski said, “North Macedonia and Armenia have many things in common. It is, first of all, the regions that may be a little bit far away, but we have a lot of things in common. For instance, we are both ancient countries. We have the history. Armenia is one of the oldest countries, actually, and Armenian language is one of the oldest languages also in the world. And also Macedonia was mentioned in the Bible as a territory, as a region, as a former state of Macedonia, Kingdom of Macedonia. So, we have something in common, that we have historic ties from the ancient times.”

Deputy Minister Dimitrovski said the present-day ties are what matter today. He said that both regions, the Balkans and the Caucasus, have had “lots of ethnic tensions” in the last centuries. The Deputy Minister said that what happens on the world stage and in geopolitics always has its manifestations in Middle East, Balkans and Caucasus: “the three hotspots where the wars are going on.”

“Because the different religions, different ethnic origin of the people who are living in these regions, and the big world powers are having their own interests,” he added.

“And we hope that it will remain in history, that these regions will become peaceful, and will join the European Union, first of all, our regions, South Caucasus, Armenia, Georgia. And also North Macedonia, and the countries from Western Balkans. That as soon as possible, we should access the European Union, to become full members. In order to have economic prosperity for our people, but also for the Europeans to be secure in their own yard. Why? The issue of enlargement of the European Union is really that one. It is an issue of security. Today we are seeing war also in Ukraine. Brutal aggression of Russian aggression there. And there is a focus in Brussels, they think, ok, we have to enlarge the European Union in order to feel secure. But I am afraid that if the war ends, so the focus of Europe will not be that much on Caucasus and Western Balkans. So we have to use this window of opportunity. And to send a message to our friends in Europe, that it is high time that you think that these regions are really important for Europe, from the point of security, but also from the point of view of economic prosperity. Because if you don't have economic prosperity in the region, there will be a lot of people who will go to Europe. Immigrants. And they will have a lot of crisis there as well. So this is my message actually, that as soon as possible these regions should become full members of Europe,” the North Macedonian official said.

Asked on the current relationship between Armenia and North Macedonia, Dimitrovski stated, “We have to support each other. We live in different regions. You've been a former Soviet country. We've been a former Yugoslavia country. Both were socialist countries. These were the times of communism. There is a lot of legacy from communism. We might share something of it. But we also know that these were authoritarian regimes in those times. But today we are free nations. And we have to cooperate as free nations. We have to support each other. Republic of North Macedonia has a lot of experience now. We are from 2005 [EU] candidate country. But we also have problems as Armenia has with its own neighbors. You had problems, actually war was going on. But we have also, our neighbors were putting identity issues. Denying our language, denying our cultural differences in order to block us to become a member of NATO or European Union. And we are overcoming it somehow with dialogue. Overcoming it with our friends from Europe but also from the United States.”

He said that the U.S. is a major factor especially in the Balkans, a major contributor in peace process and is pushing more for these regions to become a member of European Union than the European Union itself. 

“We want to be peaceful nations. We would like to be economically prosperous. And also to retain our rights on identity, on sovereignty of the territory. I know for instance that Armenia suffered as well, a lot. A lot of refugees you have from the last war. From Nagorno-Karabakh. And it is very difficult for the country to support them. It's a budget issue. And it's a life issue. It's a humane issue. It's a solidarity and humanity issue. And it's about historical homeland. And now it's about the rights of these people to own the property they have there. And even to return there. I understand that. Of course, we as a country, we do have relations with Azerbaijan because we need to have good relations with every country. But we are hoping that also Azerbaijani government will also understand and sign the peace agreement at last,” the Deputy Minister said.

Asked on North Macedonia’s position regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations process, Dimitrovski said that Skopje would like a peaceful resolution of the situation.

“We would like peaceful resolution of whole situation. And we are hoping that as soon as possible the peace accord will be signed. Because each side has its own, I know, interest. But in the end, it is the interest of the people who live in both countries. In the end it is the interest of both countries having economic prosperity. We know that Azerbaijan has also its own problems at home. But they have also some resources, natural resources, oil and gas. This is an oil rich country. But in the end it is very important they don't use the power they have․ Because we as North Macedonia, we also suffer by these powers in the regions that want us to behave like they want. That want some superiority. So superiority is not a good idea for good-neighborly relations. Humiliation of other nation is not good idea for our friendship in the future. Because we want to create a world of peace, regions of peace. We shouldn't look tomorrow at each other as enemies, but as friends. Because in order to do that you cannot impose to the other side by force anything. But you should listen to the other side. And you should be careful what they are talking and having the interest of both sides somewhere in the middle. This is very important. But I hope that we will live in a better world,” he said, adding that this is the reason why North Macedonia wants to become member of the European Union, where all nations are respected, and they have their own right of sovereignty of the territory, the cultural identity.

“If you use force it might be a temporary thing. But in the end if the other side is humiliated it is not a friendship. This should not make peace. It will be only a ceasefire for some other day. Then there will be a revenge. Which is not good. So good peace accord is that both sides are happy,'' he said.