Skopje, 24 January 2023 (MIA) – Deputy PM for European Affairs, Bojan Marichikj, is on a three-day official visit to Brussels as of Tuesday, as part of which, in addition to attending the bilateral screening meetings on Chapters 6 and 7, he will meet with representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission.

The Deputy PM, according to the Secretariat for European Affairs, will open the bilateral meeting on Chapter 7 “Intellectual Property Law” on Wednesday and hold meetings in the EU Parliament with MEPs Irena Joveva and David McAllister, and Bulgarian MEP and rapporteur for North Macedonia, Ilhan Kyuchyuk.

On Thursday, the country’s chief EU negotiator will meet with the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, and with the new Director General of the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), Gert Jan Koopman. On the same day, Marichikj will meet with Marko Makovec, the Deputy Director General for the Western Balkans at the European External Action Service, with the Acting Director for the Western Balkans at DG NEAR, Michela Matuella and the Director of the CEFTA Secretariat, Emir Djikic.

Deputy PM Marichikj will conclude his working visit with a meeting with Simon Mordue, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

Talks will focus on the progress of the screening process, the drafting of the priority reform plan and the preparations for the implementation of the current tasks and obligations for swifter progress of the EU accession negotiations process. ad/nn/