We fully and deeply believe that Macedonia is ready to start membership negotiations with the EU immediately, Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkevics stated after a meeting in Riga on Friday with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki.

"However, there are obstacles and they do not suggest in any way that Macedonia had failed to meet some of the required membership criteria - they are purely political. We are proposing a model of parallel talks i.e. EU entry talks to be launched with Macedonia, while the country negotiates with Greece about the name issue, Rinkevics said adding that Latvia was hoping that headway would be made in name talks, especially following the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Latvia's Minister also noted that Macedonia had done its homework in meeting NATO membership criteria expressing his hopes that the country would join NATO in due time.

"ICJ has ruled that Macedonia is totally entitled to a seat in the NATO club. Until we join the Alliance, Macedonia will continue acting as a de-facto NATO member and as one of its biggest contributing nations to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan," Poposki stressed.

With respect to the EU, a date for start of accession talks will instill a fresh momentum to the enlargement process after three consecutive recommendations by the European Commission, Poposki said.

Interlocutors discussed bilateral, political and economic relations, especially in the field of tourism.

"We've concluded that there is room for improving business ties, because Macedonia has so much to offer," FM Poposki said.

The two ministers also discussed the security situation in Balkan countries and their EU integration process.

In the course of his visit to Latvia, Poposki met with chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Ojars Eriks Kalnins and chairman of the group on inter-parliamentary cooperation with Macedonia, Edvards Smiltens for talks on bilateral cooperation and Macedonia's road to NATO and EU.

Moreover, Minister Poposki delivered a lecture at the Riga Stradins University.

"The NATO summit in Chicago will mainly focus on the Alliance's future, Afghan mission, but not on the enlargement process. However, it isn't a hurdle, because at the NATO summit in Bucharest it was decided that Macedonia can join as soon as it closes the issue imposed on Greece about country's name. NATO is necessary to focus on long-term interests - Macedonia's membership is beneficial for NATO, Greece, Macedonia and the entire region. An important message will be conveyed in relation to the credibility of the enlargement process that once you meet criteria, you join the club," FM Poposki said.