Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki on his two-day visit to Brussels met Monday with Tonio Borg, Malta's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister.

Talks focused on the EU integration processes of Macedonia and thus Minister Borg voiced strong and unambiguous support in that respect, MIA reports from Brussels.

Both ministers concluded that the start of membership talks between Macedonia and the European Union would be of great benefit, also stressing that the European Union had recommended start of entry talks for three years in a row.

Poposki informed his Maltese counterpart about the reform processes and key benchmarks met by the Republic of Macedonia within the High Level Accession Dialogue (HLAD).

"I have to say that we've had very open talks with my counterpart from Malta. Despite its military neutrality, Malta has an understanding about the importance of Macedonian membership to NATO. However, the Maltese Deputy PM sent a key message to back Macedonia in its efforts to resume Euro-integration processes and for logical launch of the EU accession dialogue. In relation to this, Malta joins most EU members in their conclusions to endorse the credibility of this process. Macedonia wants to negotiate to join the EU and it is extremely committed to overcoming all possible bilateral obstacles that have been standing in the way in the past. We want to join the EU in an European fashion," FM Poposki said after the meeting.

As a country that has completed the EU accession process not so long ago, Malta highlighted the usefulness of the EU agenda, voicing support for Macedonia to continue making progress in the process.

It was stated that one of the leading Maltese IT companies "6PM" had made a strategic investment in Macedonia worth several million euros. Interlocutors expressed hopes that similar foreign investments in Macedonia could double in the future.

FM Poposki is expected to meet Enlargement Commissioner Strefan Fule, with talks referring to the High-Level Accession Dialogue, the name issue and the coming visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and mediator Matthew Nimetz to Skopje.

Poposki is scheduled to meet with Danish Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen for talks on Macedonia's European perspectives and the country's expectation to obtain the Union accession talks date by the year-end.

On Tuesday, FM Poposki and Vice Premier for European Affairs Teuta Arifi will take part at the 9th meeting of the Macedonia-EU Stabilization and Association Council.

In addition, Poposki will meet Cypriot colleague Erato Kozakou-Markoullis, whose country currently holds the EU Presidency.