Skopje, 11 June 2022 (MIA) – The Western Balkans is of strategic significance for Germany and I am committed to its European Union accession. Germany is serious when it comes to the Euro-integration of regional countries, and this is especially true for North Macedonia. EU has given its promise to North Macedonia and the country has met all prerequisites for the start of the accession negotiations, said visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Skopje on Saturday. Chancellor Scholz told a joint press conference with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski he was amazed by the political will that ensured the agreement with Greece, and “that is why the rest of the task should also be a success, because this is something that the citizens of North Macedonia and the Government have worked a lot on”. According to him, North Macedonia has met all prerequisites while adding that he would personally do everything to make the next step happen. “The accession talks should begin and I am committed to this outcome. I encourage North Macedonia to continue its engagement on the reform path,” noted Scholz. He said bilateral relations, both political and economic, are diverse and close, which is another reason why Germany supports North Macedonia on the EU path. PM Kovachevski said this is the second visit of a German Chancellor to the country, a testimony of the good bilateral relations. “The support we get from the Federal Republic of Germany is strong, consistent and unequivocal. This support is an enormous encouragement for our aspirations to build a prosperous society based on the European values, as an equal partner of Germany and other EU member states,” said Kovachevski. The PM added that Scholz’s visit, which comes ahead of the European Council, is a strong sign of support to North Macedonia and a validation that the country has met the required criteria. “Our common goal is for North Macedonia to join the EU,” underlined Kovachevski.