EU, North Macedonia sign Frontex deal

By Abdula Berisha

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AA) - The European Union and North Macedonia signed a deal Wednesday on cooperation in border management.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski held a joint news conference in the capital Skopje following the signing of the agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).

Kovacevski said that thanks to the agreement, it was possible to act together against threats such as illegal immigration.

Touching on his country's European integration process, he said he was pleased with the start of the membership negotiations.

The EU means more investment, more employment and well-paid jobs, he added.

Von der Leyen, who is on a four-day tour of the Balkans, also expressed her pleasure over the signing the deal.

"I promised you that we would get the Frontex agreement signed and translate it into the Macedonian language -- no footnotes, no asterisks, and on an equal footing with all 24 languages of the European Union. And today we delivered," she noted.

She also said the EU stands with the North Macedonian people amid the global crisis triggered by Russia's war on Ukraine.

As part of her Balkan tour, von der Leyen is expected to visit other countries in the region.