Zoran Zaev

What remains unclear is what can be done about it. 

Joint declaration denouncing Serbia's irredentist aims

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C), Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (L) and North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev (R) shake hands after the press conference. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC.

The European Commission is hoping to start accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia before the end of the year, its president Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday, as she started a regional tour ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit on 6 October, news wires reported. "The future of North Macedonia is in the EU. We want you by our side.

Ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit on 6 October, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will be in the Western Balkans between Tuesday and Thursday, to visit Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, EC Press service reported.

Despite the difficulties it has encountered, the head count in North Macedonia at the moment is going well, the authorities said on Monday, expressing hope that the first census for almost two decades will come to a successful conclusion in ten days' time.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has rejected calls to temporarily shut all the other modular hospitals in North Macedonia as a precautionary measure, following a deadly fire in Tetovo hospital that killed 14 patients.

Zaev insisted that all 17 remaining modular facilities are working with boosted security and are invaluable in the fight against COVID infections.

The EU administration assessed negatively the initiative "Mini Schengen", also known as "Open Balkan", of the leaders of North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania and believes that it undermines the region's European integration.

At least 10 people died in a fire at a modular hospital for patients with COVID-19 in Tetovo, North Macedonia.

Ten people died in a fire on Sept. 8 evening at a hospital treating coronavirus patients in North Macedonia, authorities said.

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The fire broke out following an explosion in a Covid-19 clinic in Tetovo in the northwest of the Balkan country, said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who immediately headed to the town.

The fire, which broke out around 9 pm, was extinguished.

In a position issued on Sunday, the Bulgairan Foreign Ministry says that this country's position on the topic of protecting the rights of Bulgarian citizens and of citizens identifying themselves as Bulgarians in North Macedonia, has been stated on many occasions.