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Deal between Macedonia-Frontex for cooperation on borders

(ANSA) - BRUSSELS - EU Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, and Macedonian Interior Minister, Oliver Spasovski, initialed today a cooperation agreement between Skopje and Frontex to carry out joint operations, especially in the event of sudden migratory peaks and for the management of EU external borders. European Border and Coast Guard Agency teams will be deployed in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Today's deal is "an important operational step forward in our cooperation and will allow the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to react swiftly to migratory challenges and protecting our common borders," Avramopoulos said. The agreement follows a similar one signed by the EU and Albania on 12th February in Tirana. The European Union aims to reach agreements with Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina on the same model, and negotiations are underway. "Today's agreement is the second that we have initialed" with the Western Balkans countries "and I hope that the ongoing negotiations with the other partners will be finalised quickly," Avrampoulos underlined. (ANSA).