Skopje, 18 October 2023 (MIA) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will pay a visit to North Macedonia by the end of the month, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Wednesday and added that French President Emmanual Macron could do the same.

"The EC President will visit North Macedonia by the end of the month, whereas President Macron has said on several occasions that Skopje would be one of his future destinations," PM Kovachevski told reporters.

Asked if North Macedonia and Albania would be decoupled at the European Council summit in December, the PM said that North Macedonia was once decoupled from Croatia for failing to take decisions, with those failing to take the decisions back then being against the decisions favoring European integration again.

"If you look at the support that France has been providing, let's not forget that the proposal for the negotiating framework was drafted during the French EU Presidency, after 17 years in the waiting room. Therefore, considering all statements by President Macron and the ministers who have visited North Macedonia, this is a country that favors enlargement amid this geopolitical moment in Europe," said Kovachevski.

According to him, the enlargement process has started and will hopefully be completed along two paths - EU to prepare for admission of new members by 2030 and candidate-states to fulfill their tasks.

"This means that the ones who fulfill their tasks earlier will join the EU first. I hope that North Macedonia will keep its leadership position in the region regarding the European integration process. With all due respect to other countries in the area, I believe we are at a higher level and deserve to be the first to join the EU in 2030. I repeat, it is now up to us and no one else," underlined PM Kovachevski.