The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today received Ms. Barbara Prammer, President of the National Council of Austria.

Positive momentum in the development of the overall bilateral relations with a clear willingness to deepen them further was mutually determined at the meeting. The role of the parliaments of both countries was stressed as a particularly important segment in the mutual cooperation.

President Ivanov expressed his gratitude for the consistent and vocal support from Austria - the process of Macedonia’s EU integration to take place in parallel with the talks on the name, and expressed sincere expectation that Austria would strongly advocate for unblocking of Macedonia at the European Council in June. In this regard, the President said that he expects the European Union at the upcoming meeting to finally evaluate, not only to note, the progress made by the Republic of Macedonia, and not to delay the start of accession negotiations.

President Ivanov also called on the European partners to urge Greece to comply with the obligations of the Interim Accord and the ICJ ruling, as they request Greece to respect the obligations of the financial aid package. Despite unjust and unsubstantiated blockades, Macedonia will continue to work intensively on attaining fully the European standards and will not deviate from the constructive approach in the name talks, Ivanov said, adding that it is necessary to consistently respect the judgment of the Hague, and fair treatment of all member states.

Expressing satisfaction with the commitment of Macedonia in implementing the reforms and the level achieved, the President of the National Council reaffirmed the Austrian support for Macedonia’s EU integration, as well as the efforts of Austria on accession of all Balkan countries to the European family. Prammer noted that it is necessary the name dispute to be separated from the European Union integration and thus expressed hope that Macedonia and Greece will soon find a mutually acceptable solution in the spirit of good neighborly relations.

Both interlocutors exchanged views on the latest developments in the Balkans and agreed that the only viable alternative for the region is full integration into the European Union and NATO.

In order to promote friendly relations, President Ivanov expects return visit of the Austrian President Heinz Fischer in 2013.