Skopje, 20 April 2022 (MIA) – Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani spoke over the phone with Gabriel Escobar, United States Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Representative for the Western Balkans, focusing on North Macedonia-Bulgaria bilateral relations and the need for sooner overcoming of bilateral differences and lifting the veto for the start of the European Union accession negotiations. In the context of the current security challenges, FM Osmani said the EU enlargement process is a security policy, and therefore, progress in North Macedonia’s Euro-integration process is the safest investment in the stability of the country and the region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. Osmani thanked the United States for its continued support to North Macedonia’s strategic objectives, and its contribution to the stability and democratic development of the Western Balkans, highlighting the need for enhanced American presence in the area as a strong guarantee for regional and European security. Interlocutors welcomed the excellent bilateral relations and the traditional partnership, discussing the further enhancement of the strategic partnership and bilateral cooperation, reads the press release.