Skopje, 13 December 2021 (MIA) – Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani on Monday, during his visit to London,  met with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to discuss their countries’ relations and, primarily, regional challenges and North Macedonia’s European perspective. The two ministers concluded that the implementation process of the Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement between North Macedonia and the United Kingdom is a crucial component in the overall relations, the Foreign Ministry said, adding the ministers also discussed the continued defence cooperation. “The years-long British support was recognized as being key in strengthening the country’s military capacities and for the cooperation as part of NATO, considered yet another link for the two countries to cooperate in the future,” said the press release. Osmani and Truss concluded that the Western Balkans plays an important role for stability and progress of Europe, noting that the region’s integration into the EU is a mutual geostrategic interest from political, security and economic point of view. The ministers also concurred that the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU need to increase their engagement and presence in the region for the purpose of establishing a stable and prosperous region, considered to be the common goal. “The European and Euro-Atlantic perspective remains the main driving force for transformation of the countries in the region into democratic and economically developed societies. To that end, the opening of accession negotiations of the EU with North Macedonia and Albania would send a positive signal for the stability and long-term development of the entire continent,” said the press release. On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting in London, Minister Osmani met with UK’s Special Western Balkans Envoy Stuart Peach, the EU’s Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Miroslav Lajčák, and US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Western Balkans Special Representative Gabriel Escobar in addition to meeting with BiH Foreign Minister Biserka Turkovic, Wendy Morton, UK Minister for Europe and Americas, as well as with Martin Vickers, the Trade Representative for the Western Balkans of British PM Boris Johnson. During the meetings, fresh business and foreign investment potentials as well as ways for expanding existing business capacities in the country were discussed.