We had a very good meeting and an excellent exchange of views. It is very good to hear that you are so committed to your accession path towards the European Union. North Macedonia has come a long way. You have shown determination at every step. I want to praise North Macedonia and pay tribute to North Macedonia and its people. Now the work must continue. I also want to pay tribute to the fact that you are 100% aligned with our Common Foreign and Security Policy. I want to thank you and North Macedonia for your staunch support of Ukraine. There are many fields where there is an excellent cooperation, and I really want to thank you for all that. We have a very clear goal in sight. It is to open the fundamentals' cluster as soon as possible. We are almost there. We know it is about the constitutional change that your country committed to implement. And as you said, now we need joint effort, cooperation and dialogue. I hope that that all political forces in the country will come together to take this decisive step forward. I am convinced like you that we can overcome the obstacles that are still there.
Dear Hristijan, rest assured that enlargement will remain a top priority for the European Commission in the next five years. We have now all the necessary tools and instruments in place to make this happen. My first point is on the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. It is our common roadmap to bring the economies of the Western Balkans closer to ours and gradually integrate our economies. You know the approach. We open the door of our European Single Market in specific sectors, to companies, for example, from North Macedonia. In turn, you will implement reforms to have a level playing field. And these reforms are accompanied by additional investments by the European Union in Macedonia. It has been a year now since we started, and I must say the Western Balkans have delivered and have their reform agenda ready. So does North Macedonia. North Macedonia has done a great job. Your Reform Agenda is excellent. Now we should be able to start with a pre-financing of EUR 52 million by the end of the year. Overall, North Macedonia will receive more than EUR 750 million under the Growth Plan. The Growth Plan, and we discussed that, will deliver very concrete results for the people. For example, you are on a good track to become part of the Single Euro Payments Area as of next year. This means, for businesses and people, that transfers of money between North Macedonia and the European Union will be faster, more secure and free. It will benefit both your citizens and your businesses.
