The Macedonian government is doing its best to reduce the number of illegal asylum seekers originating from Macedonia, who are unfortunately still present in Western European countries, by taking preventive and repressive measures in an effort to prevent the misuse of the visa-free regime, Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska said in her speech at the EU-Western Balkans ministerial forum, held in Budva on Dec. 19-20.

She said that interior ministers at the event mostly focused on post-visa liberalization i.e. the monitoring of post-visa liberalization and developments involving the number of false asylum seekers and border management with respect to illegal migrations taking into consideration that Western Balkan countries are in the Western European route that is mostly hit by immigrants coming from Africa and Asia.

The forum tackled issues such as illegal migration and bids to prevent it with regard to migrations from crisis-hit areas.

At the event, Minister Jankuloska stressed that Macedonia, being a country practically on the frontier of the European Union, is facing a serious problem involving immigrants coming through the southern border.

“I took the opportunity to underline that the fight against illegal immigration cannot be left only to one country because this kind of combat requires regional capacities and regional response. In this respect, I said that Macedonia, being a country practically on the frontier of the European Union, is facing a serious problem involving immigrants coming through the southern border. With our neighboring countries we share different models of border management that also requires intensive and daily cooperation,” Jankuloska stated.

Unfortunately, she added, the cooperation with Greece is not at a level that Macedonia would want it to be.

“I called on Greece, the next EU presidency holder, to raise the level of cooperation since it is in the interest of our two states and the EU,” said the Macedonian Minister.

On the sidelines of the forum, Jankuloska met with her counterparts from Montenegro and Kosovo – Rasko Konjevic and Bajram Rexhepi – and with Serbia’s premier and interior minister Ivica Dacic to discuss issues of bilateral interest.

“We’ve reviewed new potentials for international cooperation. Being neighboring countries, there are constantly issues that need to be discussed in order to improve the conditions for the citizens of our countries,” Jankuloska concluded.

Macedonian Minister of Justice Blerim Bexheti also takes part in the two-day forum in Budva. He is scheduled to deliver an address on Macedonia’s judicial system and to hold several bilateral talks on Friday.