The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, met today with Mr. Martin Stropnicky, Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, who is paying an official visit to the Republic of Macedonia.

At the meeting, President Ivanov expressed satisfaction with the development of the bilateral relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the Czech Republic and highlighted the continuing political dialogue and fruitful cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest. The Macedonian President was informed about the proposals for the development of mutual military cooperation and exchange of experience in dealing with threats.

In this context, President Ivanov welcomed the efforts for expansion of the bilateral cooperation in the defense sector, as well as for strengthening the inter-army cooperation between the two countries.

Concerning Macedonia's strategic goals, membership in NATO and the European Union, the Macedonian President stressed the importance of the current open and principled support that our country receives from the Czech Republic, and expressed expectation that it will continue in the future.

President Ivanov and Minister Stropnicky exchanged views and information on the current developments regarding the migrant and refugee crisis and the safety and security challenges.

The Macedonian President thanked for the overall support and assistance that the Czech Republic has given to our country in dealing with the migrant crisis, through the presence of forces and equipment for the purpose of more effective protection and border surveillance and reduction of security risks in the crisis area.

President Ivanov said that in the interest of the future European security framework, it is necessary to review the laws on the future role of the army in support of civilian authorities in dealing with migrant crisis, in border protection, in counter-terrorism and natural disasters and accidents prevention.

The interlocutors agreed that common interest is the intensification of cooperation between the two armies and security services, establishing greater dynamics in the defense sector through the exchange of experiences and initiatives and implementation of joint military exercises and participation in peacekeeping missions.