Monday sees the start of my official visit to Slovenia, which aims to reaffirm the country’s support for finalizing the negotiating framework for North Macedonia and organizing an intergovernmental conference by the end of the year, to officially launch accession talks during the German EU presidency, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said in a video message posted on his Facebook profile.

Osmani is paying Monday an official visit to Slovenia, where he will meet with his counterpart Anže Logar, Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Parliament Speaker Igor Zorčič.

On Tuesday, he will pay a working visit to Croatia, where he will meet his host, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman and PM Andrej Plenković. He is also scheduled to hold several meetings at the Croatian Parliament

“The Foreign Minister’s visit to Slovenia and Croatia is taking place ahead of key decisions expected to be made for the country’s EU perspective and on the eve of the negotiating framework being adopted and the first intergovernmental conference with the EU,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

Talks are expected to focus on North Macedonia’s EU integration, its reform progress and good neighborly relations in which Minister Osmani will reaffirm the country’s expectations for support by regional friends for the opening of negotiations by the end of the year as part of the German EU presidency.

Bilateral cooperation, mainly potentials for improving economic cooperation, and the region’s activities to address the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, are also expected to be discussed, said the press release.