Belgrade, 1 September 2022 (MIA) - Serbia's and North Macedonia's path toward EU membership is not easy and they both share many things in common to cooperate and share experiences and as a result the two countries will sign a European integration cooperation memorandum, Deputy Prime Minister Bojan Marichikj and Serbia's Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović agreed Thursday at a meeting in Belgrade as part of the Open Balkan initiative. After the meeting, Marichikj said the idea for a cooperation memorandum has been accepted wholeheartedly, MIA's Belgrade correspondent reports. "North Macedonia and Serbia have shown a lot in implementing reforms and in settling difficult issues. We believe we have proven ourselves as a credible partner of the EU all the while demonstrating solidarity with the bloc," he told a news conference after the meeting. It gives us the right, he added, to ask to be included in settling current and future crises regarding energy supply and food and power supply. "All of this include issues in relation to our citizens going through this difficult period ahead. Since we've proven ourselves as a credible partner of the EU, we expect the Union to include us in future plans for solving these issues for the EU member states," stated the Deputy PM. Serbian Minister Joksimović said she had congratulated North Macedonia and Albania on opening EU accession negotiations. "Serbia, taking into consideration all the political demands it had that have delayed its path, we understand the difficult path and all North Macedonia had gone through to meet the goal," she stressed. Joksimović said talks also focused on EU-funded projects as part of the EU's Western Balkans Investment Plan, the gas interconnector between Serbia and North Macedonia, which is considered as being vital for the citizens and the challenges ahead. Skopje has been offered any kind of assistance during its EU negotiations process, said the Serbian Minister adding that important panel will take place on Friday during the political part of the Open Balkan fair involving European projects, the gas interconnector between Serbia and North Macedonia, energy issues and food supply.