The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, received today Baroness Frances D'Souza, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the British Parliament.

At the meeting, President Ivanov expressed satisfaction with the visit of Baroness D'Souza, noting that the Republic of Macedonia is continuously attaching great importance to the development of relations and cooperation with the United Kingdom.

Both interlocutors exchanged views on the bilateral relations between the two countries, on the economic cooperation, as well as on the latest developments and prospects of the countries in this region for European Union and NATO accession.

In this context, President Ivanov stressed that the only driving force in the region that leads to cooperation and mutual support, that surpasses past animosities and prejudice is the idea of Europe. In that regard, President Ivanov expressed his expectation the EU countries, including the United Kingdom, to be the advocates of Macedonia's aspirations for membership in the Euro-Atlantic structures, to help and speed up these processes.