The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, received today the Director for Continental Europe within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Mr. Eric Fournier.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with the development of the relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the French Republic at bilateral and multilateral level, and hope for intensification and to promotion of the political dialogue between the two countries.

Informing Mr. Fournier about the current political situation in the Republic of Macedonia, President Ivanov said that there is optimism to overcome the political crisis which requires a dedicated, responsible and consistent approach to the dialogue of all political parties in order to restore political stability. In this context, the Macedonian President welcomed the involvement of the European Union in these talks which clearly show that the European and the Euro-Atlantic agenda of the Republic of Macedonia is the main priority in the country.

President Ivanov noted that in overcoming the challenges faced by our country, support from the international community is needed, including France, because the prolonged status quo in the European integration creates frustration in the political and inter-ethnic, thus life making us vulnerable and susceptible to the attempts for destabilization.
Director Fournier conveyed the French support in terms of our European and Euro-Atlantic strategic goals, membership in NATO and in the EU.