High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell spoke yesterday with Nikola Dimitrov, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia. They both expressed great satisfaction over the EU Ministers’ decision to open accession negotiations for both North Macedonia and Albania.
The High Representative and the Foreign Minister discussed the implications of the coronavirus outbreak, stressing the need for international cooperation to effectively tackle this global challenge. Josep Borrell welcomed the decision by the government of North Macedonia to activate the EU civil protection mechanism. They discussed the current intensive efforts to coordinate work and seek all ways to channel support to the Western Balkans in a focused and concrete manner.
The High Representative/Vice-President concluded that the European Union stands by the Western Balkans and will continue to support the region in these challenging times.