The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today held talks with the member of the European Parliament and shadow rapporteur for Macedonia, Dr. Eduard Kukan.

At the cordial meeting, among other items for discussion, Ivanov and Kukan focused on the current situation in the Republic of Macedonia, the EU integration priorities of the country and the name dispute imposed by the Hellenic Republic.

It was jointly noted that the Republic of Macedonia has fulfilled the criteria for opening the EU accession negotiations. President Ivanov expressed his gratitude to MEP Kukan for the constant support that the European Parliament has been providing to the Republic of Macedonia, in the past accomplishments, as well as in making the next step in the integration process.

President Ivanov and MEP Kukan exchanged their views on the disruptions in the Macedonian integrations on the part of Greece. President Ivanov stressed that it is in the interest of Macedonia and the region as a whole, to continue with the integrations until the final goal is achieved - a united Europe - as a project that will provide lasting stability and prosperity. The President also referred to the Croatian-Slovenian dispute as an example, and as a successful model of running the integration processes and settling a bilateral issue in parallel.

During the meeting, the constant high support of the Macedonian citizens for Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic strategic goals was emphasized, and also the willingness to implement the necessary reforms so that this goal is met in a swift and dignified manner. Ivanov added that the blockade of the integration processes due to bilateral issues have also implications at the internal level in the Republic of Macedonia, especially in the attempts to create a favorable climate for foreign investments, and at the political level.