We can always come to some solutions through dialogue, and Macedonia is an active contributor to any dialogue in the wider region is the message of the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, he will convey to the participants of the 18th Central Europe Summit, hosted by the President of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Gasparovic.

The Summit is an excellent opportunity, with the leaders from the entire region, to express our views on many issues, the positions of Macedonia on certain issues, and, at closed meetings, the situation in the region is always discussed openly. There are certainly current events that are close to our region and affect our region, the Macedonian President Ivanov said today before the official start of the Summit in Bratislava, Slovakia.

President Ivanov, at the sidelines of the Summit, met with his Montenegrin counterpart, Filip Vujanovic. The two presidents agreed that the bilateral relations between Macedonia and Montenegro can serve as an example in the region. President Ivanov expressed his satisfaction with the momentum of the bilateral relations and cooperation at political level, adding that the potentials for more comprehensive economic cooperation are insufficiently used. He was informed on the current political and economic state of play in Montenegro, as well as on the challenges faced in the Euro-Atlantic processes. At the meeting, they exchanged views on the situation in the region. Joint conclusion of the meeting is that there are still open issues and complicated relationships in the region that hinder regional cooperation and send a negative image of the reality. President Ivanov said that the weakness in some Balkan leaders, to put in the first place the future of the region will soon be overcome.



On the sidelines of the Summit, President Ivanov met with the President of Moldova, Nicolae Timofti. The meeting stated that the mutual relations between the two countries are friendly, but the cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest should be strengthened and intensified. For this purpose, after a pause, exchange of visits in the future at the highest level was agreed, in order to improve the legal framework and to create conditions for more intensive cooperation, especially in the economic sphere. President Ivanov was informed about the current political and economic situation and the challenges in Moldova.

The traditionally friendly and close relations between Macedonia and Poland were reaffirmed today by the presidents of both countries, Gjorge Ivanov and Bronislaw Komorowski, at the meeting on the Bratislava Summit sidelines, when the Macedonian President asked for Poland's support for the EU integration of the country. Macedonia asks and expects the European Council in June to set a date for start of negotiations. Macedonia is a candidate country since 2005, it has received 4 consecutive recommendations for a date and expects the European leaders to apply the same principle of parallel movement in the process of integration and overcoming bilateral differences, a principle that gave positive results in our region exactly, President Ivanov said at the meeting. The Polish President, who stressed that Poland remains a strong supporter of the enlargement and open doors policy, was informed on the latest developments related to the name issue, the relations with the neighboring countries and the situation in the region. At the meeting, President Ivanov informed his Polish counterpart on the obstacles Macedonia is facing in the efforts for EU and NATO membership. Common conclusion was that integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures would contribute to better understanding between the countries, greater cooperation, overcoming differences in a European manner, noting that the success and the upcoming accession of Croatia should be an indication for the countries of the region and for the EU. At the meeting, President Komorowski accepted the invitation of President Ivanov to pay a return official visit to Macedonia, which is to be held in September and is expected to give a new positive impulse for further strengthening of relations and deepening of cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

President Ivanov, in an answer to a journalists' question today, appraised the election of Borce Davitkovski as President of the Committee tasked to examine the events of December 24, 2012 and said that he expected that the Committee would accomplish its work and come out with judgments related to the events. The election of a President speaks of the fact that a commitment from the Spring European Commission Report on Macedonia is met. I hope that the Committee will do its job because it is mandated to state and provide judgments about the events of December 24, President Ivanov said. He urged the parties, despite the establishment of the Committee, to find ways to meet the other requirement - signing of the memorandum supporting the EU integration process. This would be in addition to all of our obligations undertaken and would be respected and appreciated by Brussels, President Gjorge Ivanov said.

This is third participation of President Ivanov at summit of the Central European countries where leaders discuss all topical issues in Central Europe and express their positions relating to the topic of the meeting. Summit discussions will be focused on the key political, economic, social and security issues related to the recovery of the region and Europe in the post-crisis period. In this context, the Heads of State and Government will discuss the possibilities for restoring sustainable growth, for finding ways to prevent similar economic and financial crises in the future, as well as for the role of the new member states in the post-crisis recovery.