After meeting PM Hristijan Mickoski in Skopje on Wednesday, EC President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that North Macedonia needed to make the agreed constitutional change.
“We remain fully behind North Macedonia on its EU path. You can count on us. The next and only step before the opening of the negotiations is clear. You need to make the agreed constitutional change. The ball is in your court. The EU is ready”, she said after the meeting, which was not followed by a press-conference.
The Government said Mickoski and the EC President had talked about the EU perspective, progress with regards to reform processes, economic cooperation, energy security, and digital transformation. According to the press-release, Mickoski highlighted the cabinet’s resolve to speed up integration through concrete results and by meeting EU standards.
“He stated that the country expected clear and concrete commitment from the EU, as confirmation of the European perspective and support for citizens that had for decades stayed committed to European values,” the Government added.
In another post on X, which included photos about her meetings with President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova and Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi, the EC President said 16 million euros were being disbursed for completed reforms.
“In the meantime, we’re moving your country closer to us. That’s what the Growth Plan is all about! We’re opening an AI Factory antenna in Skopje. We’re including you in Europe’s Single Payment Area. And we’re disbursing 16 million euros thanks to the reforms you have made”, she said in that post.