Effects from NATO and EU membership are political and economic i.e. improved political stability and better economic growth, Defense Minister Fatmir Besimi said Thursday in his lecture titled "The Impact of Euro-Atlantic Integration over the Economy in the Balkans and Macedonia", delivered before students at the military academy.

Given the fact that the cost of not joining NATO and EU could be far greater than the cost of being integrated, the need of increased support by EU and NATO is correct both in economic and political terms, according to him. "It will increase the capacities of Balkan countries to mobilise their own resources for development."

"The Balkans is a relatively small, but complex region with a wide cultural and religious diversity. The past two decades showed that this surrounding could easily be manipulated by politicians having nationalistic agendas that ultimately lead to severe conflicts and wars," DM Besimi said amongst other things.

NATO and EU accession provide benefits such as increased trade and investments, opening of more jobs and improvement of living standards, he underlined.

"Western Balkan countries today are more and more closer to NATO and EU integration. However, meeting the membership criteria is still seen as a great challenge for these countries. Perhaps, it is time EU and NATO countries to think about increasing the scope and intensity in supporting Balkan countries. From an economic point of view, this is not a big burden for the EU having a market of nearly 500 million inhabitants, whereas 23 million people live in W. Balkan countries," Minister Besimi said.

"There is no political process without political implications and this is particularly relevant for a country's integration into the most powerful defense formation in the world. By joining NATO, Macedonia will lay a safe foundation for swift economic development. The motto 'invest in security in order to ensure security of investments' needs to be applied," Besimi concluded.