(ANSA) - SKOPJE - The EU's full support over Macedonia's path towards Europe was expressed on Friday in Skopje by the EC president Donald Tusk, who praised the reform programme and the progress made by the Balkan country in recent years.

''I can see a decisive change in your country and a real will to move towards full Euro-Atlantic integration'', Tusk told reporters at the end of his meeting with Macedonia's premier Zoran Zaev. ''Many things have changed since 2015, when I came here because of the migrant crisis''. Tusk added, speaking Macedonian. In recent days, Brussels gave the green light to the opening of Macedonia's EU accession negotiations. Pointing out that regional cooperation in the Balkans has a crucial role, Tusk underlined Macedonia's courage to conclude a treaty of friendship and cooperation with Bulgaria in recent months, after years of tensions and conflicts. ''You have shown that there is always the right way to go, when you are willing to get rid of the ghosts from the past, and I hope you will do the same even with Greece (in the name dispute, ed)''. The EC president ended in Skopje a tour in the countries of the area, which he made aiming to prepare the Western EU-Balkans summit in Sofia on May 17. In the last four days he visited Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. In the afternoon, Skopje will participate in a regional summit within the Brdo-Brioni process, along with local presidents, Slovenia's and Croatia's leaders and Bulgaria's premier Boyko Borissov, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. Focus on European integration, regional cooperation common programs in the fields of infrastructure, transport, energy. (ANSA).