Stability in the Western Balkans: A conversation with Naser Nuredini

At the annual Prague European Summit, Visegrad Insight had a chance to speak to Naser Nuredini, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia, who discussed the key challenges of energy security for his country, especially in the light of the war in Ukraine, as well as the EU membership of his country and the whole Western Balkans region.

Naser Nuredini has served as the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning since June 2019. In the parliamentary elections in 2020, he was elected a Member of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia. As of August 30, 2020, he has been re-appointed to head the Department of Environment and Physical Planning.

Magda Jakubowska (Visegrad Insight): Let me share with you our latest report. This is “War and the Future of Europe”, and it puts (EU) Enlargement to much extent in the centre, especially bringing Western Balkans into the EU’s sphere, continuing integration and formal accession to the EU processes. In your opinion, how much would the accession change the situation of your country? And the situation of the region, especially in regards to energy security and strategic autonomy for Europe, including larger independence from Russia’s resources?

Naser Nuredini: The Western Balkans is part of Europe, even though we have somehow in the past not really managed to move forward. We are a specific region where we need to look at the other countries and regions as a whole historically and as former Yugoslav republics, which in the 90s, unfortunately, went through the war. And now when we think about the war in Ukraine, we know what it feels like. We had a civil war, we fought for and actually gained independence. So we know the losses that are taking place right now. And it’s unfortunate, it’s atrocious, to say the least.