PM Djukanovic visits Macedonia for talks on regional cooperation and integration, signs cooperation agreements

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic paid an official visit to Macedonia on Friday, where he discussed bilateral and regional relations, cooperation in various areas, and European and Euro-Atlantic integration with PM Nikola Gruevski, Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanovski and President Gjorgje Ivanov.
PMs Djukanovic and Gruevski expressed content with the traditionally good bilateral relations between the two countries that have never been interrupted during the regional crisis of the past two decades. They agreed that these good neighbourly relations can be furthered through closer cooperation, especially in the areas of defence, transport, tourism, construction industry, services, trade, and culture. With this goal in mind, the PMs signed agreements on economic, welfare insurance and scientific and educational cooperation. They also announced the signing of an investment protection agreement.
The PMs described as excellent the cooperation within regional initiatives chaired by Montenegro. They emphasised the importance of regional stability and cooperation, and PM Djukanovic stressed that all the countries in the region should become EU and NATO members, underlining the contribution of integration to regional stability.
PM Gruevski expressed his Government’s full, unconditional and active support to Montenegro’s efforts to join NATO and the EU, and voiced Macedonia’s readiness to share its experience and good practices.
PM Djukanovic and President Ivanov jointly concluded that the two countries share a true friendship and have a very high level of bilateral relations, which is confirmed by PM Djukanovic’s visit and the signing of the agreements, and will further be strengthened by President Ivanov’s visit to Montenegro in early November. They emphasised that the continuous political dialogue at all levels represents an enormous asset that should be enhanced in the coming period, especially in the area of economic cooperation.
They also exchanged opinions on regional and multilateral cooperation and the issues of NATO and EU integration. It was jointly concluded that Montenegro and Macedonia share an identical vision of integration and are devoted to regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, and in this context they pledged mutual support in the integration processes.
PM Djukanovic and Parliament Speaker Veljkovski emphasised the good cooperation of the two Parliaments and underlined the need to encourage the development of parliamentary diplomacy in the region.