Over 90 experts in the field of crime prevention and organization of security services from Macedonia, the region and beyond take part in the annual conference organized by the Security Faculty in Ohrid. Participants pointed out to the dangers the Balkans is faced with, considering the fallout of the wars in the Middle East, the movement of foreign fighters and the refugee crisis.
"Macedonia needs to be seen together with all the other events in the region, where large numbers of fighters from Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, and a smaller group of Macedonia, have returned after fighting in the Middle East. The Balkan route is now closed, and all countries that were on it, including Macedonia, now must face a new problem. We have a wider network of criminal organizations in the region, spanning from Syria to the European Union, who deal in providing illegal passage to people", said professor Tome Batkovski, at the opening of the conference.
According to Batkovski, there is need to improve coordination of intelligence agencies in the region, and to find a joint response to destabilizing movements coming from abroad. The political crisis in Macedonia, according to the participants, is also negatively affecting the overall security situation in the country.
"Political parties need to rise above their narrow partisan interests and to focus their activities on defending the national interests. This problem has persisted for a year and half and remains unresolved. Parliamentary democracy needs permanent, not just occasional dialogue, and putting the national interests first. There can be difference of opinion, but these differences also need to be put to the voters, in elections", professor Batkovski said.
Professor Zlate Dimovski said that organized crime is threatening to make a grande entrance in Macedonia. According to Dimovski, there is need to follow up on criminal allegations to avoid expansion of organized crime in Macedonia.
According to Zidas Daskalovski, the situation in Macedonia has taken on a more positive turn, with the forming of a functional Government. "Further discussions to resolve the political crisis will involve some kind of an agreement on the burning issues of the voting registry and holding elections that may come in the regular four year time-frame, or at an earlier moment agreed by the parties. Perhaps the easiest part of the talks will be to implement Commissioner Hahn's proposal to have international institutions involved in examining the voting registry, that would have the effect of having all parties act reasonably and accepting the decision of the international experts as relevant", professor Daskalovski said.