The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, who is paying a working visit to the Republic of Croatia at an invitation of President Josipovic, held a bilateral meeting with his host today.

The talks focused on the possibilities to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries, on the strategic goals of the Republic of Macedonia and the challenges in the regional cooperation.

Both interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the high level of political, economic and cultural relations in the past twenty years and readiness for their enhancement, promotion and close cooperation in the future.

In the context of meeting the strategic goals of the Republic of Macedonia, President Ivanov expressed his gratitude for the open support at the NATO Summit in Chicago, and stressed that the support of the Republic of Croatia for setting a date and start of accession negotiations for membership in the European Union is essential. In that regard, President Ivanov urged the Republic of Croatia to advocate for implementation of good practices in resolving the Croatia-Slovenia dispute - parallel movement in the integration and settlement of the bilateral issues.

President Josipovic said that the Republic of Croatia will continue to support the Republic of Macedonia in its Euro-Atlantic integration, adding that bilateral issues should not affect the individual path of any country to the European Union.

Both presidents stressed the importance of regional cooperation for promotion of overall relations in the region. In this context, they discussed the possibilities of connecting the Adriatic-Ionian Highway with the Corridor 10, as one of the vital infrastructure projects for all countries in the region, as well as the political and economic support from the European Union in this field.

The two presidents shared the opinion that the relations between the two countries are excellent, and that there is room for strengthening the cooperation in the field of economy, mainly through infrastructural connectivity and increased trade exchange.