The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov today hosted a working lunch for the Ambassadors of the Western Balkan countries, the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia and the Head of Delegation of the European Union in Macedonia.

The talks focused on the Euro-Atlantic integration as a strategic commitment of the countries of the region. President Ivanov and Ambassadors agreed that the EU integration of the entire Western Balkans simply has no alternative, but also the project united and prosperous Europe would not be complete without the countries of the region joining the Union.

President and Ambassadors exchanged views on current developments and latest achievements of the countries pertaining to the EU and NATO. Unanimous conclusion was that our region has undergone a dramatic transformation over a period of just one decade, and that despite previous perceptions, today, spirit of cooperation prevails, identical visions and mutual support in meeting strategic goals. Ambassadors welcomed the high level pre-accession dialogue Macedonia has launched with the European Union and expressed hope that the country will soon receive an invitation for NATO membership.

President Ivanov confirmed the Republic of Macedonia’s commitments to deepen and strengthen regional cooperation and exchange of experiences aimed at tracing a common European way. Given the Republic of Macedonia’s upcoming chairmanship of the two major regional initiatives – the SEE Cooperation Process and the Dialogue among Civilizations, President Ivanov reiterated that regional meetings need to enter into a new era, initiating and implementing specific projects, noting that political declarations are no longer sufficient and that concrete action is necessary.