Skopje, 18 November 2021 (MIA) — North Macedonia and Austria’s ties and the country's European prospects were the topics President Stevo Pendarovski and Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Linhart talked about Thursday, according to an official press release. At the meeting, Pendarovski and Linhart confirmed the traditionally friendly bilateral relations marked with open dialogue, expressing interest in further strengthening ties and deepening cooperation. Discussing the country's aspirations for joining the European Union, the President expressed gratitude for Austria’s strong, open, and unwavering support for the immediate start of EU accession negotiations. Pendarovski pointed out that the country has been implementing reforms focused on the rule of law, strengthening the court system’s efficiency and impartiality, and the fight against corruption. He reaffirmed the expectation that the obstacles on the country’s EU integration path would be lifted, in the interest of the stability and progress of the entire region. He also thanked the Austrian foreign minister for the support from Austria in tackling the pandemic and especially in coordinating the distribution of vaccines from the EU. Pendarovski and Linhart also discussed possibilities for increasing economic cooperation and overall trade, considering Austria is at the top of the list of foreign investors in North Macedonia, the release from the President’s office says. mr/