The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with Mr. Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

At the meeting, President Ivanov expressed satisfaction with the visit of Mr. Blair, noting the significance the Republic of Macedonia is continually paying to the development of the relations and cooperation with the United Kingdom.

Both interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the level of bilateral relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the United Kingdom.

The meeting discussed the European and Euro-Atlantic prospects of the region. In this context, President Ivanov reiterated the Republic of Macedonia's efforts and commitment to the reform processes, in order to meet the strategic priorities- membership in the European Union and NATO. Joint conclusion of the meeting was that the European idea and the integration process are indispensable mechanism for the reform processes to achieve European values and criteria for the aspiring countries, but also a mechanism for overcoming bilateral differences. From that aspect, the former Prime Minister Blair said that during his tenure, and even now, he strongly supported the EU and NATO integration processes of the Western Balkan countries, adding that the EU would not be a complete project without the integration of the Western Balkans.