Belgrade, 4 September 2024 (MIA) - We discussed the political and economic cooperation, about improving the political relations and the economic cooperation, boosting trade, and opening more jobs in Macedonia and in Serbia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications said Wednesday after meetings with Serbian officials during his visit to Belgrade.

Nikoloski is on an official visit to Belgrade alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Inter-Community Relations Ivan Stoilkovikj and Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski. They met Wednesday with the President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, and the Serbian Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade, Tomislav Momirović.

“I can say that Macedonia and Serbia have very close relations, and with the creation of the new VMRO-DPMNE-led Government these relations will improve even more since we are two friendly, two brotherly people that should have the best relations and cooperation,” Nikoloski said.

According to Nikoloski, the meetings also discussed the improvement of infrastructure, mainly Corridor X and the construction of a high-speed railway.

“You know that one of the main commitments of VMRO-DPMNE's Government and my own personal commitment as Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister is the construction of a Skopje-Thessaloniki high-speed railway that will connect to the existing Thessaloniki-Athens railway and the Belgrade-Budapest-Vienna railway, and I hope that soon Serbia will construct the Belgrade-Niš-Skopje high-speed railway which would allow Macedonia to be connected with trains moving at 200km/h, and connected to Central and Western Europe in a fast and quality manner. At the same time, this would allow business to develop since it would open up two significant seaports that gravitate towards Macedonia, and that’s the Port of Thessaloniki and the Port of Piraeus,” Nikoloski said.

The Macedonian delegation is also expected to meet with Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović, and Prime Minister Miloš Vučević.

Nikoloski added that in the coming period “we will agree on a date for a visit of the Government of Serbia to Macedonia, and very shortly we expect to establish a cooperation of holding joint sessions of the Macedonian and Serbian Government”. 

Photo: MIA