REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA: THREE DECADES OF BENEFITS FROM THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE
REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA: THREE DECADES OF BENEFITS FROM THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE

Summary/Abstract: Last year marked three decades since the Republic of North Macedonia joined the Council of Europe and the OSCE, joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program, and established diplomatic relations with the EU. These entities are an important segment of the European and Euro-Atlantic political and security architecture. The Republic of North Macedonia (then under the provisional reference) became a full member of the Council of Europe on 9 November 1995, thereby committing itself to respecting the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. This membership marked the beginning of the country’s integration into European democratic structures. The Republic’s accession to the Council of Europe is one of the most significant events for it, since the declaration of its independence. With it, the Republic joined the European system of law and democracy and created legal standards that significantly influenced the construction and functioning of the Macedonian constitutional system, and within it, especially the judicial system. The Republic of North Macedonia was admitted to the OSCE in 1992, when the OSCE Mission in Skopje was established with the aim of preventing the spillover of conflicts from the region. The country actively cooperates with the organization, and in 2023 it also took over the chairmanship of this world's largest regional security organization. The Republic's admission to the OSCE is a rational and very useful step towards building its security system. Its membership in the OSCE contributed to its internal stability, included it in the European security system and helped in the democratic transformation of society after the declaration of independence. Partnership for Peace (PfP) is a NATO program aimed at cooperation and building trust between NATO members and other countries in Europe and the former USSR. Currently, PfP has 21 member states. The Republic of Macedonia was a member of PfP from 15 November 1995 until 27 March 2020, when it became a member of NATO. The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the European Union was delayed due to the opposition of the Republic of Greece to recognizing the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name. However, full diplomatic relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the European Union were established in December 1995, when the Republic's mission to the European Union was opened. The establishment of diplomatic relations of the Republic with the European Union is its most strategically important foreign policy move after the declaration of independence. With it, the country has focused on the European political and economic system and has created a framework for deep legal and institutional reforms. The paper analyzes the benefits of the Republic of North Macedonia from its previous membership in the Council of Europe, the OSCE, as well as from the establishment of diplomatic relations with the European Union with a special emphasis on political, economic and security aspects.

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