Professor Vasko Naumovski took part in a conference in Athens organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Greek Institute for International Relations. The former name negotiator referred to the process of enlargement of the European Union, noting that Greece has the potential to be a leader in the Balkans.

I think that Greece has proven that it can have a leadership role and can be the voice of the Western Balkans inside the European Union and in the coming years will have the opportunity to demonstrate it once again, said the former deputy prime minister.

As possible chances for negative impact on the enlargement process of the European Union, Naumovski mentioned the forthcoming European elections and the probability of nationalist parties receiving a large number of representatives in the European Parliament but did not exclude the possibility of a new wave of migrants throughout the year.

Answering a question about expectations if the government in Greece changes, Naumovski expressed hope that there will be no significant change in positions.

I hope that there will be no significant change, precisely because the region’s path to European integration is something that unites all the countries in the region, on one hand, and on the other hand, it is something that unites all different parties in the Western Balkan countries. Regarding Greece, I hope that, as I said, there will be no significant change and that the benefits of good neighborly relations will be noted by the future Greek government, Naumovski said, adding that there are great opportunities for cooperation, not only with Greece but also with other countries in the region, in education, cross-border cooperation, etc.