The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with the Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, Dr. Laszlo Kover, who is paying an official visit to the Republic of Macedonia.

At the meeting, mutual satisfaction was expressed with the continuity of the political dialogue, which reflects the excellent bilateral relations. Central discussion topics were the Euro-Atlantic integrations, the parliamentary cooperation, the interest and opportunities for deepening of the economic cooperation. President Ivanov and the Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament commended on the parliamentary dimension as extremely important for the overall cooperation between the two countries. The Macedonian President welcomed the readiness to deepen cooperation in this field, at expert and technical level.

In terms of European integration, President Ivanov expressed his appreciation for the unwavering support of Hungary and welcomed the proposal of the European Commission for launching membership accession negotiations in parallel with the resolution of the name dispute. The Macedonian President expressed hope that the support of Hungary will be confirmed at the upcoming meeting in December, which is of key importance for the Republic of Macedonia. Both interlocutors agreed that the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans countries is an unstoppable process that will bring lasting peace and stability in the region.

In terms of economy, President Ivanov reaffirmed the readiness of the Republic of Macedonia to intensify the business and trade cooperation.

The Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament expressed interest on the developments in the region. President Ivanov presented the priorities of the Macedonian Chairmanship of the two major regional initiatives – the SEE Cooperation Process and the Dialogue among Civilizations. Both interlocutors expressed willingness to further mutual support and cooperation at multilateral level.