Mucunski in Washington at Rubio's Invitation: Macedonia at the Table With Over 60 States on Political Terrorism

An invitation from Washington - and a personal one at that, from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timčo Mucunski, will spend the next two days in Washington at a ministerial conference devoted to the threats of political terrorism. For a small country like ours, a seat at a table with representatives from over 60 states is not an everyday event, so it's worth taking a closer look at what exactly it means.

According to the Ministry, the aim of the meeting is to advance international cooperation and strengthen institutional readiness to deal with contemporary forms of politically motivated violence. In focus - the transnational character of political terrorism, radicalization in the digital era, and mechanisms for the early detection of threats. Topics that sound abstract, but behind which stands a very concrete reality in the world today.

Mucunski, as announced, will present our country's activities for preventing radicalization and violent extremism, as well as efforts to improve the legal framework. On the margins of the conference a meeting is also planned with Daniel J. Lawton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for Western, Central and Southern Europe at the State Department.

Events like these easily turn into diplomatic photographs - a handshake, little flags, a statement, and that's it. The real value isn't in the attendance, but in what gets brought back: a concrete exchange of security information, a coordinated approach and practical cooperation with partners. The question, as always, is whether the visit will stay at the level of protocol courtesy, or whether it will translate into something that genuinely strengthens the security of citizens.

Macedonia's presence at a table where global security matters are decided is a good thing in itself. It's confirmation that our country is a partner, not an observer. What remains is for that partnership to be measured by results, not by the number of statements to the media.