Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, during his working visit to Brussels, attended a working lunch organized by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, alongside other leaders from the Western Balkans. In a post on his Facebook profile, Prime Minister Mickoski stated that the main focus of the lunch was the European Commission’s Western Balkans Growth Plan. He emphasized Macedonia’s commitment to achieving its strategic goal—membership in the European Union—through progress based on real and sustainable criteria.

Earlier, in a post on the X platform following the meeting, Von der Leyen reiterated that all six partner countries from the Western Balkans belong to Europe. Later in the day, Mickoski also held meetings with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Oliver Varhelyi, and Gert Jan Koopman, head of the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR).

During these discussions, the European integration prospects for both Macedonia and the region were addressed. Mickoski stressed that the EU accession process should be based on merit and achievements rather than bilateral issues. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to aligning with EU standards and values. Mickoski shared this after his meeting with Koopman. The Prime Minister is accompanied on his Brussels visit by Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mucinski, and Minister of European Affairs, Orhan Murtezani.