Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani met on Tuesday, as part of his working visit to Croatia, with his counterpart Gordan Grlić-Radman.
Osmani and Radman, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release, discussed at the meeting dynamic and friendly bilateral relations, as well as intensive political dialogue at highest level and excellent cooperation in multiple areas of common interest.
The two ministers, the press release read, agreed that the continuation of EU’s enlargement policy sends a positive signal to the whole region.
“The European Union is to make several important decisions regarding North Macedonia: approve the negotiating framework, schedule the first intergovernmental conference and officially start accession talks. If I’m being honest, having in mind our success in implementing reforms, I believe we deserve these processes to be completed by the end of the year, during Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU,” FM Osmani said.
Moreover, he thanked his counterpart for the support Croatia has offered North Macedonia’s EU aspirations, topped by the Council of the EU’s decision in the first half of 2020, during Croatia’s Presidency, to greenlight the start of accession talks.
“Support was topped with the EU’s decision in March to start accession negotiations with North Macedonia, during Croatia’s Presidency, while the 2020 Zagreb Declaration provided additional support for the Western Balkan countries’ orientation towards inclusive regional cooperation and strengthening good-neighbourly relations,” North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister underlined at the meeting.
Osmani also briefed Radman on his visit to neighbouring Bulgaria, stressing the importance of continuing communication at the highest level as the only way to overcome differences and challenges, in order to ensure North Macedonia’s European integration resumes uninterrupted.
“We’ve intensified political communication with neighbouring Bulgaria at multiple levels. In the coming period, we’ll appropriately address all challenges and won’t allow this joint political investment in the region’s European prospects to go to waste,” Osmani told Radman.
Participants also discussed at the meeting bilateral cooperation as NATO members, as well as in the fields of economy, tourism and culture, in addition to activities taken by both countries to protect and promote the rights of minorities.
“The two ministers focused at the meeting on current affairs in the region and the world, regional cooperation, as well as measures for coordinated management of COVID-19,” the press release read.
