Prohor Pchinjski, 2 August 2023 (MIA) — I was delighted this morning to see people from Macedonia speaking Macedonian. We Serbs, as you know, love Macedonians and we love the Macedonian language. We don't think it doesn't exist or any such thing, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after the meeting with his Macedonian counterpart President Stevo Pendarovski in Prohor Pchinjski on Wednesday.

"On the contrary," Vucic said, "we understand the Macedonian language very well, and I know you also understand and speak the Serbian language, too. I have no problem saying we are not only friends but that, as a nation, we have brotherly relations. I believe those relations will continue developing."

President Pendarovski, who laid flowers at the ASNOM memorial plaque in St. Prohor Pchinjski monastery to mark the Day of the Republic, was welcomed by his Serbian counterpart.

Vucic said that North Macedonia and Serbia had excellent cooperation and excellent friendly relations, without any unresolved issues.

"Our trade is 1.5 billion euros per year, and I believe it will continue to grow. We work together to make life easier and to improve the living standard for our two countries' citizens. Now we are discussing merging our railways, which would make us even closer and better connected," Vucic said.

Serbia's President pointed out that Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and the Serbian Orthodox Church had made landmark decisions "for the benefit of our two nations, the Serbian and the Macedonian."

"We don't have any open issues any more. We Serbs love the Macedonians, we love North Macedonia. We don't demand anything and we don't need anything except to cooperate even more and better," Vucic said, offering his best wishes on the national holiday in Macedonian.

President Pendarovski thanked Serbia for allowing North Macedonia to again celebrate Ilinden in Prohor Pchinjski since last year.

"Since last year, Vucic has made it possible for us to once again celebrate our national holiday where our state was established. I hope we will continue to see each other in this place and pay respect to our national greats," he said.

Pendarovski and Vucic, according to the Serbian president, were to continue their conversation about "the further steps to take" at a working lunch in Vranje later in the day.

The state delegation led by President Pendarovski at St. Prohor Pchinjski monastery included Deputy Parliament Speaker Goran Misovski, Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski, and Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska. mr/