Skopje, 26 January 2023 (MIA) – Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj met Thursday with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, discussing tasks and commitments to be completed this year in terms of the European integration process.  

One of Commissioner Várhelyi’s requests was to swiftly and successfully make reforms, politically unite in terms of the EU integration process and successfully amend the Constitution to guarantee North Macedonia’s European perspective, the Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release.  

Commissioner Várhelyi reaffirmed the support that North Macedonia has from its European partners, reads the press release. According to Marichikj, the press release adds, the country should make use of such support and make it a motive to continue the negotiation process more dynamically and intensively.  

The Deputy PM and Chief EU Negotiator briefed the Commissioner on the course of the screening and preparations for developing the important roadmaps, as well as the priority reform plan.  

“We have the capacity to maintain the pace of screening and make use of this part of the negotiations to prepare a thorough reform plan that will meet the expectations of both the EU and the Macedonian citizens sooner,” said Deputy PM Marichikj.  

Marichikj and Várhelyi also discussed recent political developments and coping with the energy crisis.  

As regards relations with Bulgaria, interlocutors concluded differences must be settled based on European values, in a European way, with mutual respect and in the spirit of good neighborly relations, adds the press release.