Skopje, 28 September 2021 (MIA) – North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski met Tuesday with the visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Skopje. President Pendarovski expressed gratitude for her visit and her personal engagement and the commitment to the countries of the Western Balkans, his Office said in a press release. “Pendarovski and Von der Leyen exchanged opinions on the latest developments related to country’s EU integration and concluded that the start of EU accession with North Macedonia will further intensify the reform process and enable economic and social progress,” reads the press release. President Pendarovski underlined the importance of the European Commission's support in the context of European solidarity for the inclusion of the region in all European Union initiatives, as well as for mitigating the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. They also discussed the current developments in the region as well as the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the press release read.