On the margins of the 16th Eurasian Economic Summit, the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Turkey, Cemil Cicek. At the meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, satisfaction was expressed with the established relations of a personal friendship and mutual understanding and views and information were exchanged on a number of topical issues of mutual interest, as well as on the planned activities. The Macedonian President congratulated the Ecumenical Patriarch for his activities and efforts to secure greater unity in the Orthodox community and for the reconciliation of Christianity with other religions and welcomed his presence at the inauguration of the Pope Francis in Vatican.

At the meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Turkey, Cemil Cicek, the excellent friendly relations between the two countries were confirmed. President Ivanov welcomed the parliamentary dimension of the cooperation, assessing it as an extremely significant. Common conclusion was that the cooperation between the two countries is in a steady positive development in many areas. Speaker Cicek said that the Republic of Turkey particularly appreciates the role of the Republic of Macedonia in the region of Southeast Europe, and as before, the Republic of Macedonia enjoys strong and unconditional support on the road to progress and the realization of the strategic objectives. The meeting discussed the possibilities for further cooperation and mutual support at multilateral level.