The President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today held talks with Mr. Samuel Zbogar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

At the cordial meeting, President Ivanov and Minister Zbogar concluded that the relations between the two countries are at the highest level. President Ivanov expressed his gratitude to Minister Zbogar for the constant support given by the Republic of Slovenia for Macedonia's integration into NATO and the European Union.

The meeting offered a possibility to review conclusions stemming from the recent official visit of President Ivanov to the Republic of Slovenia and to further discuss and precise the opportunities for cooperation, especially in the field of European integration, where we expect intensification of the support provided by the Republic of Slovenia.


The talks also focused on the current political situation in Macedonia. President Ivanov and Minister Zbogar concurred that prompt return of several opposition parties to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia is necessary and that the normal political dialogue and functioning of all institutions are key criteria in the integration processes.

President Ivanov said that the Republic of Macedonia has met the criteria to start EU membership talks, adding that it was crucial for country's European perspective past achievements not to be diminished. President Ivanov assessed that Macedonia's reform engagement requires the negotiations with the EU to be held without obstacles created by bilateral issues, reiterating his position that the EU talks should be led in parallel with the talks aimed at overcoming the dispute imposed by Greece over our constitutional name.