The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today received Ms. Jozefina Topalli, President of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania.

At the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the level of bilateral relations between the two countries and the mutual commitment to further strengthen the friendship and good neighborly relations through open dialogue was confirmed.

The collocutors exchanged views on the Euro-Atlantic integrations of Macedonia and Albania, the situation in the region, and the possibility of intensifying the economic cooperation, which was assessed as not corresponding with the high level of political relations. Common conclusion of the meeting was that the European integration processes in the region are moving and that both countries should continue the good cooperation and mutual support for Macedonia’s integration into NATO and the European Union and for Albania’s integration into the EU.

President Ivanov expressed his expectation that the Republic of Albania will support Macedonia’s membership in NATO, particularly ay the upcoming Summit in Chicago and expressed readiness for close cooperation in the European integration processes and for sharing experiences in this regard. The Speaker of the Albanian Parliament noted that the Republic of Albania supports Macedonia’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures, and that promoting good neighborly relations is an important element in favor of the European integration.

They also agreed that it is necessary to intensify the economic cooperation, stressing the importance of infrastructure and energy connectivity between the two countries and the opportunities for deepening the cooperation in tourism and agriculture.