- The European Union signed an agreement Wednesday with North Macedonia to deploy officers from the bloc’s border protection agency Frontex in the small Balkan country as it expands its reach into nearby non-member states.
- It has also pledged 350 million euros in support to combat illegal migration in those four partner countries between 2021 and 2024.
- Von der Leyen, who met with North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, also promised continued EU support to Western Balkan countries to help develop alternatives to natural gas from Russia, a major regional supplier.
EU expanding border guard presence along busy Balkan route
