Following talks in Skopje on Friday, János Bóka, European affairs minister, said Hungary has signed an agreement with North Macedonia to promote the Balkan country's European Union integration, the effective use of EU funding, as well as the exchange of experiences.

Bóka met Orhan Murtezani, his North Macedonian counterpart and the two ministers held a joint press conference after the talks.

Concerning bilateral ties, Bóka said that the two countries had a "comprehensive and strong strategic partnership based on shared values and interests", adding that the cooperation covered EU-related areas such as North Macedonia's integration.

Hungary's endeavors during its EU presidency last year contributed to the adoption of North Macedonia's reform plan, and it facilitated the first EU payments to that country, Bóka said, adding that Northern Macedonia could join the Single Euro Payments Area before the end of this year.

Friday's agreement establishes an "institutional and official" cooperation between the European affairs ministries of the two countries, Bóka said, adding that the accord would facilitate a structured cooperation in all areas of the EU's sectoral policies.

Cooperation will include training courses and apprentice programmes for officials, government-level EU coordination, as well as the sharing of experiences and knowledge with special regard to the utilisation of community funding, Bóka said.

Bóka invited his counterpart to visit Budapest and contribute to the next phase of the cooperation with a focus on elaborating working plans and identifying actual projects.