(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 19 - "The Prespa agreement" between Skopje and Athens "was a historic breakthrough and the EU's member states should now start EU accession talks with North Macedonia in October", the president of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, said at the end of a two-day trip to Skopje to support the process of European integration of country.

Lambertz was hosted by Petre Shilegov, the Mayor of Skopje, and Blagoj Bochvarski, Mayor of Shtip. He met with some Macedonian political leaders, including President Stevo Pendarovski, Deputy Prime Minister Bujar Osmani and Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, urging them to continue the decentralization process. "Effective reform at the municipal level - he said - would improve public services, increase citizens' engagement in the EU, and could dispel any uncertainty about the country's readiness for EU membership".

Lambertz then urged Skopje to put in place legislation to enable its cities and regions to participate in EGTCs, the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation dedicated to cooperation between border regions.(ANSA).