European Commission President von der Leyen visits North Macedonia

05.10.2026 Press and information team of the EU Delegation to the Republic of North Macedonia

As part of her annual Western Balkan tour, on 2 October, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited North Macedonia. She held meetings with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.

“North Macedonia belongs with us in the EU. There is one key step you need to take to move forward. The enlargement momentum is real. And North Macedonia should seize it”, the EC President wrote on social media.

At a joint press conference with PM Mickoski, President von der Leyen stated that North Macedonia made the Growth Plan “a real success, with more EU investments coming very soon”. “We are getting closer, also on AI, with our new AI Factory Antenna, called VEZILKA. This is gradual integration at its best”, she said in her statement.

During her regional tour, President von der Leyen focused on the next steps needed for advancing on partners’ EU path and ongoing process of gradual integration, assisted by the EU’s 6 billion EUR Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.