The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, received today the OSCE Secretary General, Mr. Lamberto Zanier.

At the meeting, President Ivanov stated that the Republic of Macedonia appreciates the cooperation and assistance that the OSCE has been providing in many areas, especially in the area of rule of law, electoral processes and legislation, along with the support in areas such as police and judiciary, promotion of interethnic relations and coexistence. In that sense, one of the topics of discussion was the implementation of the June / July political agreement and current activities for organization of the upcoming early parliamentary elections, whereby the role of OSCE will be considered as vital for assuring fair and democratic free elections.

Regarding the current challenges related to the migrant and refugee crisis, the Macedonian President underlined that a permit for entry into and transit through the Republic of Macedonia is only granted to persons in need of international protection - refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. President Ivanov emphasized that a timely and adequate handling of the threat related to illegal migration requires deployment of Frontex at the Greek - Macedonian border, as well as intensification of the coordination and communication with Greek police and services.

The Macedonian President and the OSCE Secretary General also exchanged opinions on the state of security in the country and the region. As for the tackling of security challenges, according to President Ivanov, the key problem is insufficient exchange of information, as well as lack of coordination and cooperation among the security services in the region.