Skopje, 18 May 2023 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski met Thursday with Gert Jan Koopman, the European Commission’s Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and with Michela Matuella, Acting Director for the Western Balkans at the EC Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, said the Government in a press release.

At the meeting, it was stated that the European Union expects the region to progress quickly, and to that end, the EU’s support for North Macedonia during the next step of its Euro-integrations was conveyed.

According to the Government, it was assessed that North Macedonia has a historic chance to progress and provide a European living standard for the citizens. In that context, it was concluded that there is a need to adopt important decisions with the contribution of all political entities in the country.

At the meeting, it was stressed that North Macedonia’s EU progress contributes to the region and to European peace and stability, and all political entities in the country are expected to take this into account.

The press release said the importance of adopting the constitutional changes was also discussed at the meeting, as well as the need for the MPs to support the amendments in Parliament.

PM Kovachevski thanked the high European representatives for the EU’s support over the fulfillment of the country’s strategic goals.

“We practice a European system of values: in the area of fully respecting human rights, and as an example for a successful, functional multi-ethnic democracy; with complete Government transparency and a jump of 19 places in the area of press freedom; through efficient and firm alignment with EU foreign policy on Ukraine. The Government is actively working on the necessary reforms that are a part of the European agenda, on the solutions tackling the challenges of the global crisis, on important infrastructure projects that connect the country with the region and Europe. The Government is firmly committed to achieving new success in the Euro-integrations, because they mean a better living standard and a European quality of life for the citizens, and we expect that this will be taken seriously by all politicians, MPs and political parties in the country,” said PM Kovachevski at the meeting with Koopman and Matuella.

Photo: Government of North Macedonia