North Macedonia

"I am breaking inside", Macedonian Prime Minister says in an interview with US paper "New York Times".

On the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is expected to reassure his North Macedonia counterpart Nikola Dimitrov of Greece's commitment to help reboot the Balkan country's stalled bid to join the European Union. 

With NATO accession close at hand, North Macedonia is hard at work making changes to the way its military and intelligence service work.

In talks with North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday underlined the importance of the so-called Prespes accord being honored if the Balkan country is to achieve its aim of starting accession talks with the European Union. 

Zoran Zaev told a Russia-North Macedonia economic forum in Skopje on Thursday that the event and the reactivation of an inter-governmental commission on trade with Russia do not mean that his country is seeking an alternative to Euro-Atlantic integration.

Germany's foreign minister has offered backing for North Macedonia's efforts to start membership talks with the European Union, after a minority of EU members blocked the process.
Heiko Maas said Wednesday that the EU "has to open the doors" to the Balkan country and said the people of North Macedonia should not be disappointed with the setback.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to express his full support for North Macedonia's EU accession prospects as well as for other countries in the western Balkans, provided they fulfil their obligations, in a meeting on Thursday with the country's counterpart Zoran Zaev in Thessaloniki.

Membership of the European Union remains the "strategic goal" of  North Macedonia, the president of the Balkan state said Tuesday, adding that the country is willing to undergo a more "thorough accession process."

Stevo Pendarovski, who is attending the Paris Peace Forum, will have a meeting later on Tuesday with Emmanuel Macron, whose opposition last month at the European Council dashed North Macedonia's hopes of a start date for EU accession negotiations.

Montenegro's economy minister Dragica Sekulic said on Monday that joining the 'mini Schengen' initiative for Balkan states proposed by Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia would be a waste of energy because her country has already "opened its borders" and lifted trade barriers to its neighbours.