ForMin Melescanu meets Macedonian Deputy PM and reiterates Romania's support for Macedonia's accession to NATO, EU

Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu met on Monday with Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani, who is paying an official visit to Romania, context in which the Romanian minister reiterated Romania's support for the accession of the Republic of Macedonia to the EU and NATO.

According to a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), in the beginning of the meeting, the head of the Romanian diplomacy commended the adoption by the Macedonian Parliament of the Law amending the country's Constitution, on 11 January 2019, and voiced his satisfaction for the positive ratification vote of the Prespa Agreement by Parliament in Athens, on 25 January 2019, measures that validate the agreements assumed by the two parties through this agreement and open encouraging prospects for the European and Euro-Atlantic journey of the Republic of Macedonia.

The meeting of the two officials represented a good opportunity to review the bilateral relations and cooperation prospects at regional and international level.

"Both parties welcomed the boost of the bilateral dialogue over the last period and expressed their will to intensify the sectorial cooperation. Minister Teodor Melescanu voiced his hope for the completion of a series of bilateral agreements and underscored the importance that the Romanian side grants to the development of cooperation in the culture and education areas, as well as for the growth of commercial exchanges between the two states," the release mentions.

Furthermore, Minister Melescanu reiterated Romania's support for the accession of the Republic of Macedonia to the EU and NATO and conveyed Romania's support for the continuation of reforms necessary for the decision to launch accession negotiations to the EU.

"The Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister also voiced the belief that the Republic of North Macedonia will become the 30th member of the Alliance and commended the authorities in Skopje for advancing the country's transatlantic journey," according to the release. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)