Brussels, 19 September 2024 (MIA) - The new Government's commitment to the country's swift accession to the EU was once again highlighted at today's meetings with the Union's top officials, said Minister of European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani, who accompanied Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on a working visit to Brussels.

"We have proven this by the fact that the membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the EU is among the top priorities in the Government's program, but also by the swift adoption of the reform agenda, which is part of the Growth Plan," Murtezani said. 

According to him, the European Commission's Growth Plan for Western Balkans represents a framework through which the EU treats the countries in the region similarly as if they are members of the Union, given that the amount of funds that will be made available is at a level of almost 90 percent of what the countries of the bloc receive.

"If we also consider the geopolitical developments and the priority of the EU in the enlargement policy, I believe it is an excellent moment for us as a country to move quickly towards full-fledged European Union membership," the Minister of European Affairs pointed out. 

Murtezani together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mucinski, accompanied Prime Minister Mickoski at Thursday's meetings in Brussels with European Council President, Charles Michel, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, as well as with the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), Gert Jan Koopman. Previously, the Prime Minister together with the other Western Balkan leaders attended a working lunch hosted by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.  

Photo: MIA