Friday, 26 October 2012
THE PRESIDENT VELJANOSKI HAD A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA, MR. TOMISLAV NIKOLIĆ
Evaluating the relations between the two states as very good, the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Trajko Veljanoski underlined that they are progressing constantly and that there is a mutual interest for their development and promotion, in the spirit of good neighbourly relations, on every level and in all areas. This is not only in the interest of the two states, but also contributes for the stability of the Region and its Euro-Atlantic perspective.
Reminding that the Republic of Macedonia received 4th consecutive recommendation from the European Commission and that Macedonia expects a date on opening accession negotiation the President Veljanoski underlined that the Republic of Macedonia welcomes the decision of the European Commission granting the Republic of Serbia a candidate status.
The President Veljanoski underlined that the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia is prepared to share its experience in these integrative processes, considering that the parliaments have got the key role in the reforms. He also expressed his hope that Serbia will not wait long for the date on opening negotiations, since the reasons for the Republic of Macedonia are well known- the constitutional name, thus the national and cultural identity.
The President Veljanoski referred to the continuous parliamentary cooperation on every level, which certainly contributes in the overall bilateral relations.
The minorities from the two states significantly contribute in the bilateral relations, and their position is defined with an appropriate legal regulation. The President Veljanoski underlined that the Serbian Ethnic community is represented in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, and expressed satisfaction that the Macedonian community is also represented in the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia.
The President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Tomislav Nikolić , expressing appreciation for the visit, underlined that he, as a former MP, respects the role of the parliaments, since they articulate the interests of the citizens.
He also underlined the respect for the Macedonia’s determination that no one can negate its national, cultural and lingual identity. There are no open issues between the two states and that is why he is convinced that the states can work for the mutual and regional benefit. Regarding the relations between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Macedonian Orthodox Church, he expressed conviction that the issues will be resolved in near future.