Belgrade, 31 March 2023 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at Friday’s meeting reaffirmed long-standing partnership and friendship between North Macedonia and Serbia, which is demonstrated through constant mutual support for key issues and challenges affecting both countries.

“Bilateral relations between the two countries are characterized by a dynamic high-level political dialogue, economic cooperation and trade exchange,” the government said in a press release.

Kovachevski and Vučić discussed regional initiatives that are an opportunity for perspectives and even greater promotion of mutual cooperation.

“The goal of the Open Balkans and the Berlin process is regional development and faster integration into the single European market and into the European Union,” reads the press release.

PM Kovachevski and President Vučić exchanged views on the European Union's enlargement policy towards Western Balkans and on the dynamics of the accession negotiations of North Macedonia and Serbia. In this regard, they underscored the reform processes in several key areas, institutional capacity building efforts as well as the development strategies implemented by the governments of both countries.

They also referred to activities of the two countries within the Western Balkans in regard to economic, democratic and security situation in the region and Europe.

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski kicked off his official visit to Belgrade. The Macedonian delegation consists of Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupcho Nikolovski, Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski, as well as the Deputy Minister of Information Society and Administration, Aleksandar Bajdevski.