Budapest, 4 March 2025 (MIA) — The country has long deserved to join the EU, especially considering the enormous concessions Macedonian citizens have made in the past two decades toward this strategic goal, yet negotiatons have been turned into bilateral talks instead of being European, according to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski at a press conference held together with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, MIA's special correspondent in Budapest reports.

At the press conference held Tuesday after a meeting of the two countries' top government officials, PM Mickoski expressed hope that Hungary would help unblock the country's accession process with the EU.

"I hope this process will finally be unblocked for us with great support from our friendly Hungary so our country can start negotiating," Mickoski told reporters.

"I'm certain that if we have the opportunity to start negotiations soon based on the true Copenhagen criteria, we will complete them and be part of Europe," he added.

Mickoski recalled that the Budapest summit was the second intergovernmental session, after the one the two governments held in Ohrid in September. He said government ministers had talked about potential ways of deepening cooperation, including in the military industry, networking, infrastructure and tapping into new markets.

The prime minister highlighted the continuous support from the Hungarian government. This support, he said, was also financial, as shown by the Hungarian loan the country had recently received to invest into building roads, boulevards, schools, and daycare centers.

Mickoski then thanked Orban for his assistance, saying that the Hungarian PM was a man of his word.

"He has shown and proven many times in the past that he is a man of integrity and that his word is as heavy as mountains, which he has my immense respect for," Mickoski said, adding that Orban was also "a man who knows how to inspire through his behavior" and congratulating the Hungarian prime minister on his country's economy and capital investments.

The Macedonian prime minister pointed out that Orban had led Hungary through turbulent processes while always protecting national and state interests.

"Let me just remind you once again of his vocal stance on protecting European borders from illegal migrants, something we worked on together," Mickoski said.

Together, he said, they would also encourage Europe to take a more intense role in the process of achieving lasting, sustainable peace in Ukraine through partnership and alliance with the United States, which would benefit both Ukraine and Europe itself.

Noting that the government was focused on improving the lives of citizens, Mickoski also mentioned newly released figures on GDP growth. GDP growth in the fourth quarter was 3.2 percent, and the annual GDP growth was 2.8 percent, he said.

"This is additionally inspiring for us, together with our brotherly friends and nations, to work on the economy, to work together toward improving the lives of our citizens," the Macedonian PM said, adding that the goal was clear: a strong, stable and prosperous Macedonia in the EU. mr/