Macedonia has to change its attitude to the Balkans. The Balkans is not a problem but an opportunity for Europe. Macedonia plays a key role for stability and if we want stability in the Balkans, Macedonia has to become a member state of NATO and the EU,” said Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban at the press conference in Skopje Thursday that he held together with his host, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

“In recent years, Europe has lost a lot of its credibility and therefore has to find a way to restore its influence in the world, which can best be done with the Balkans,” Prime Minister Orban said.

Prime Minister Gruevski emphasized that Hungary was an honest friend to Macedonia, that Macedonia had excellent political and primarily friendly relations with Hungary and that the Hungarian Prime Minister’s visit to Skopje Thursday was one more confirmation of that.

“We have received confirmation from Prime Minister Orban on this occasion, too, that Hungary’s support for Macedonia’s European integration and opening accession talks as soon as possible is going to continue at the same intensity,” he said.