In a telephone conversation with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany - Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia - Zoran Zaev expressed gratitude for the intense engagement of the German Presidency of the EU, furthermore for the personal involvement of the Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth, as well as Chancellor Merkel's personal engagement.

During the conversation, Prime Minister Zaev pointed out that the Federal Republic of Germany has done a lot for the European future of the Western Balkans, notably trough the Berlin Process, which this year is co-chaired by the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia.

In the telephone conversation between Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Zaev, the common interest and common goal of the two countries during the German EU presidency was shared - to hold the first intergovernmental conference in December marking the beginning of North Macedonia's EU membership talks.

Prime Minister Zaev underlined that this is an opportunity that should not be missed and that the intensive engagement of the stakeholdes involved creates opportunities to achieve the common goal - Holding the intergovernmental conference for the start of the negotiations.

In regard to the situation with COVID-19 in our country, Prime Minister Zaev informed that all state capacities are engaged in dealing with the pandemic and extended gratitude for the assistance provided by Germany and the EU, for the medical and protective material, as well as financial support, which shows the solidarity of the EU with the countries of the region and with the Western Balkans as a whole.