Macedonian, Albanian PMs pledge to bolster economic cooperation

 

Macedonia and Albania have been nourishing friendly relations, high-level political dialogue and cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest, Prime Ministers Nikola Gruevski and Sali Berisha assessed after their meeting in Skopje on Wednesday.

There is a room for further development of overall cooperation, especially the economic one. The two countries may also cooperate in infrastructure projects aimed at attracting foreign investments. In addition, Skopje and Tirana share a vision for the EU, NATO membership, the PMs said.

Special attention, they said, should be paid to the advancing of the economic ties, making easier for the two countries to deal with the economic crisis.

"We have talked about several infrastructure projects and joint initiatives for attracting investments," Gruevski said.

Both countries consider that in addition to bilateral they should be also committed to the development of the regional cooperation.

"Macedonia remains actively committed to advancing the relations with all neighbours and in that respect to the regional cooperation. All open issues can be settled by mutual constructiveness and dialogue in the spirit of cooperation and good-neighbourly relations based on principles of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and peaceful dispute resolution," Gruevski said.

Macedonia and Albania believe their future is in NATO and EU, which is an imperative for lasting stability, security and prosperity of the citizens of both countries.

"Our countries have common future in NATO and EU. Albania welcomes Macedonia's substantial progress in meeting all NATO membership criteria," Berisha said. He also underlined the need for settling of Skopje-Athens name row, which will enable Macedonia to take its place in the international institutions.

Asked to comment certain announcements for Kosovo division as a lasting solution to the situation there, Berisha said those suggestions were taken from the archive of late Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic and could not bring anything good to the region.

"Let me remind you that in the early 1990s various messengers circulated across the region presenting different maps for dividing of not only Kosovo. All of them proved to be absurd. Respecting of the existing Kosovo borders is of vital importance for all countries of the region," Berisha said.  

Today, Berisha is also scheduled to meet President Gjorge Ivanov, Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and visit the State University in Tetovo.

Macedonia and Albania have been nourishing friendly relations, high-level political dialogue and cooperation in all spheres of mutual interest, Prime Ministers Nikola Gruevski and Sali Berisha assessed after their meeting in Skopje on Wednesday.

There is a room for further development of overall cooperation, especially the economic one. The two countries may also cooperate in infrastructure projects aimed at attracting foreign investments. In addition, Skopje and Tirana share a vision for the EU, NATO membership, the PMs said.

Special attention, they said, should be paid to the advancing of the economic ties, making easier for the two countries to deal with the economic crisis.

"We have talked about several infrastructure projects and joint initiatives for attracting investments," Gruevski said.

Both countries consider that in addition to bilateral they should be also committed to the development of the regional cooperation.

"Macedonia remains actively committed to advancing the relations with all neighbours and in that respect to the regional cooperation. All open issues can be settled by mutual constructiveness and dialogue in the spirit of cooperation and good-neighbourly relations based on principles of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and peaceful dispute resolution," Gruevski said.

Macedonia and Albania believe their future is in NATO and EU, which is an imperative for lasting stability, security and prosperity of the citizens of both countries.

"Our countries have common future in NATO and EU. Albania welcomes Macedonia's substantial progress in meeting all NATO membership criteria," Berisha said. He also underlined the need for settling of Skopje-Athens name row, which will enable Macedonia to take its place in the international institutions.

Asked to comment certain announcements for Kosovo division as a lasting solution to the situation there, Berisha said those suggestions were taken from the archive of late Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic and could not bring anything good to the region.

"Let me remind you that in the early 1990s various messengers circulated across the region presenting different maps for dividing of not only Kosovo. All of them proved to be absurd. Respecting of the existing Kosovo borders is of vital importance for all countries of the region," Berisha said.  

Today, Berisha is also scheduled to meet President Gjorge Ivanov, Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and visit the State University in Tetovo.