On 2 October 2026, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, travelled to Skopje, North Macedonia. 

During her visit, she met with Hristijan Mickoski, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, and held a joint press conference with him. 

In her statement, Ursula von der Leyen said that North Macedonia had demonstrated its ability to make bold decisions, citing the Prespa Agreement, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership, the Security and Defence Partnership, the European Peace Facility and the country’s support for Ukraine. She stated that the country belonged in the EU and noted that accession negotiations begun in 2022, with screening completed in under a year. One key step remained: opening the ‘fundamentals’ cluster. She said that the EU welcomed North Macedonia with its identity and language. She also highlighted the result of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, including the €140 million received, SEPA membership and the VEZILKA AI Factory Antenna. She added that the EU would present its pre-enlargement policy reviews the following week, emphasising that Europe would stand with North Macedonia. 

This video shows the complete press conference, followed by a question and answer session.