Reeker: History should be a school, not a prison

History should be a school, not a prison – said the newly appointed assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, Philip Reeker, who was still in the old capacity, stayed in Macedonia, or as he said – at home.

-I’m happy to be here. Especially now that North Macedonia has taken a huge step forward towards its place in Europe and NATO, said Reeker, before sending messages to all countries in the region, and to warn of the dangers facing the Balkans from a geopolitical and internal aspect.

The historic Prespa Agreement has paved the way for North Macedonia to join NATO as its 30th member and further its European integration. North Macedonia has taken an enormous step forward towards its rightful place in Europe and NATO, said Phillip Reeker on Monday in Skopje.

The ex-US Ambassador to North Macedonia addressed Monday the event “Balkans 360: Economic Development and Regional Relations in Southeast Europe”, organized by the German Marshall Fund.

Philip Reeker, future Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, currently is a Civilian Deputy and Political Adviser to the Commander of the United States European Command.

In his keynote remarks, the US official addressed the key challenges of Western Balkan countries and the US support to their efforts to join the EU.
“As a former Public Affairs Officer and later U.S. Ambassador in Skopje, I am overjoyed to be back here. It is especially heartening to visit now, as North Macedonia takes an enormous step forward towards its rightful place in Europe and NATO. As many of you know, I return to Washington in a few short weeks to take the helm of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department as Acting Assistant Secretary,” Reeker said.

For 27 years, he noted, mutual distrust and historic disagreements between Skopje and Athens blocked a path forward.
“I can tell you from my own experience that the issue was incredibly complex and, by many, considered intractable. Getting to this point was not easy, of course. So many times the leaders involved refused to give up on the process and pressed ahead. The success of the Prespa Agreement is a testament to what hard work and compromise can accomplish if individual leaders demonstrate such leadership,” the US diplomat stated.