The United States has received assurances at all levels from the party that won the recent elections in North Macedonia (VMRO) that the country’s European path will continue.
This statement was made by the outgoing US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, during an online interview hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank.
Commenting on the latest developments, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State explained that both the US and Europe made their position on the neighboring country’s new president absolutely clear after her inauguration. The message, he explained, was that Washington and Brussels expect North Macedonia’s European course to continue as normal and that the country will remain a committed member of NATO.
“And believe me, (North Macedonia) is a committed member of NATO. And we have received assurances at all levels from the leadership of the party, the main party that won the elections (VMRO), that they will remain committed to the European path,” Gabriel Escobar said.
Finally, the U.S. diplomat said that he remains optimistic after the results of the elections in North Macedonia, pointing to a growing prevalence of realism.
He said, “There is actually a growing realism that there is no other alternative. So I think we will see, and I hope we will see, that this path will continue and will be the main political goal of the new government. And as they do that, they can expect cooperation from the U.S. side.”
