The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borisov, who is currently on an official visit to the Republic of Macedonia.
At the meeting, President Ivanov and Prime Minister Borisov discussed the Agreement on friendship, good neighborly relations and cooperation between the two countries, as well as the will and engagement of all those who in the past period were involved in the efforts for its harmonization.
"This act confirms the political will and commitment of both countries to take further steps towards building mutual trust and overcoming open issues," the Macedonian President said at the meeting.
President Ivanov stressed that, as before, he will continue to promote continuous improvement of good neighborly relations in the future.
"It is necessary to face challenges together, at the same time defending our national interests. That is why I believe that no interstate agreement must be at the expense of its own national and national interests. I constantly emphasize the need to resolve disputable issues peacefully and through honest and open political dialogue in accordance with international law and good neighborly relations in order to achieve fair and fair solutions based on the principles of mutual respect and support and refrain from interference in the internal affairs of the states, "the Macedonian President said.
At the meeting, President Ivanov reaffirmed the country's full commitment to European and Euro-Atlantic integration and stressed that the Republic of Macedonia expects open support from the Republic of Bulgaria to start accession negotiations for EU membership, as well as support regarding the Republic of Macedonia's accession to NATO.
President Ivanov voiced his expectation for intensifying the political dialogue between the two countries and a meeting with the Bulgarian President, Mr. Rumen Radev, pointing out that visits at the highest level are an additional impetus in building mutual trust and good neighborly relations.
In the context of the need for enhanced regional cooperation, President Ivanov and Prime Minister Borisov discussed the challenges arising from the migration crisis and its security aspect, with the Macedonian President stressing the need for further deepening and intensifying the cooperation between intelligence services, inter-army cooperation and cooperation in the fight against organized crime and terrorism.
The two interlocutors expressed readiness for further improvement of the overall bilateral relations between the two countries, especially emphasizing the need for improving the economic cooperation and realization of the initiated infrastructure projects in the region.
