Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki on Wednesday in Strasbourg met with several MEPs to seek open support for intensifying Macedonia's EU integration process, mainly in relation to prompt opening of accession talks with the EU.

Poposki met with several MEPs, including EP Vice-President Othmar Karas (Austria), European People's Party (EPP) Chairman Joseph Daul (France), Gunnar Hokmark (Sweden) - Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP responsible for EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Jan Olbrycht (Poland) - EPP Vice-President and coordinator for interreligious dialogue, International Paneuropean Union President Alain Terrenoire and EPP Secretary General Martin Kamp.

With respect to the resolution on Macedonia's progress in 2011, Poposki asked for support the balanced and objective document to be adopted.

The FM also attend a joint session of the EPP working groups for foreign affairs and enlargement, chaired by Slovak MEP Eduard Kukan, where views were exchanged on Macedonia's accession process.

Minister Poposki called on the Council of EU to reach a decision on start of accession talks with the EU during Denmark's chairmanship with the organisation. He welcomed the initiative by the European Commission for enhanced high-ranking accession dialogue, expressing his hopes that the current debt crisis wouldn't affect the EU enlargement process.

The visit is part of the activities for advancing the Macedonian-EP dialogue ahead of an adoption of a resolution on Macedonia's 2011 progress, which is on the agenda of EP session this March.