site.btaUPDATED Von der Leyen: Constitutional Changes Should Be Implemented, Short-Term Goal Is to Start Accession Talks with North Macedonia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Thursday said there is a very clear goal in sight - to open the first cluster of EU accession talks with the Republic of North Macedonia as soon as possible. She gave  a joint news conference with North Macedonia's Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski in Skopje.

Von der Leyen said: "We are almost there. We know it is about the constitutional change that your country committed to implement. And as you said, now we need joint effort, cooperation and dialogue. I hope that all political forces in the country will come together to take this decisive step forward. I am convinced like you that we can overcome the obstacles that are still there."

The EC President arrived in Skopje from Tirana as part of her tour of the Western Balkans. She held a one-to-one meeting with Mickoski and is scheduled to meet with President Gordana Siljanovska.

Von der Leyen said enlargement will remain a top priority for the European Commission in the next five years, and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans she is presenting during her trip aims "to bring the economies of the Western Balkans closer to ours and gradually integrate our economies".

For his part, Mickoski said that North Macedonia remains committed to Europe and the accession path towards the European Union, and that the reforms which should be implemented are not only a condition for membership but also for improving the citizens' living standards.

Mickoski said: "We expect the EU to find, together with us, a solution on how to continue our European integration path, while respecting the legitimate positions of our citizens, so that in the future we will not face demands that are deeply in conflict with the ideas and values on which the EU itself is based. We believe in a fair, merit-based approach. We believe that our consistent efforts will be rewarded. The goal is clear, but the path to it requires joint efforts, cooperation, dialogue and understanding, which are essential. We are confident that together we can overcome all the obstacles and build a better future for our citizens."

Asked to comment on Skopje's proposal that the constitutional changes take effect after North Macedonia joins the EU, von der Leyen said there is a clear goal - to open the first fundamentals cluster as soon as possible. The constitutional changes that North Macedonia has agreed to make must be implemented, von der Leyen said, adding it is important to her and in the interest of North Macedonia that the country is successful. She assured Mickoski that the EC will be with Skopje every step of the way to achieve the common goal.

In Skopje, von der Leyen presented the main points of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, saying: "North Macedonia has done a great job. Your Reform Agenda is excellent. Now we should be able to start with a pre-financing of EUR 52 million by the end of the year. Overall, North Macedonia will receive more than EUR 750 million under the Growth Plan," she said.

"In North Macedonia the Plan has already mobilized EUR 1.7 billion of investment, and it will focus on the clean energy transition. (…) Here in North Macedonia, renewables account for a quarter of power generation. So we are working on projects to boost the renewables capacity. (…) We are also investing in clean transport for better connectivity across the region and with Europe. This includes the very important project of Railway Corridor VIII, connecting you with Albania to the West and with Bulgaria to the East. It also includes Corridor X, running from Greece to Budapest and crossing your entire country. These investments will turn North Macedonia into a key transport hub. This will have huge benefits for the citizens of North Macedonia," von der Leyen said.   

The next key point was cooperation on border control. "North Macedonia is the fifth country outside the EU to host a Frontex joint operation team. For the past two years now, more than 100 European border guards have supported local authorities to carry out the checks and surveillance," she said.

Disaster response is another very important aspect of cooperation, the EU solidarity measures are extended to the Western Balkan partners, said the EC President, adding that the Civil Protection Mechanism was activated twice for North Macedonia over the summer: "We mobilized six aircraft and three helicopters, provided by the European Member States and Serbia. Because this is basically what it means to be a good neighbour, a partner and a future member of the European Union."

North Macedonia's European integration process and the prospects for progress, the implementation of reforms and the benefits of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans were the highlights of von der Leyen's meeting with President Gordana Siljanovska.

The President of the Republic of North Macedonia stressed that the institutions in several areas are ready for accelerated integration and inclusion in EU initiatives and networks, Siljanovska's office said in a press release. She expects integration to take place on the merit-based approach and the Copenhagen criteria, stressing that they are key to the country's development.

After Skopje, von der Leyen will be visiting Sarajevo as part of her tour of the Western Balkans.