The Macedonian and Bulgarian Ministers of Interior, Gordana Jankuloska and Tsvetan Tsvetanov  respectively, expressed satisfaction late Thursday with the excellent cooperation between the MoIs of both countries.

Meeting on sidelines of the informal session of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of EU member and candidate countries in Dublin, Jankuloska and Tsvetanov expressed readiness for further bolstering of the bilateral cooperation, MoI said Friday in a press release.

Macedonia, as a candidate country for EU membership, has made significant progress to harmonize the national with the EU legislation, Jankuloska said, pointing out that the European Commission has been recommending opening of the country's accession talks for four years in row.

Substantial progress, she said, has been made in reference to the Chapter 24 of the EU acquis - Justice, Freedom and Security, hence opening of the negotiations on this chapter will bring better results, particularly in regard to the rule of law.

Notifying Bulgaria's support of Macedonia in regard to preserving the Schengen free visa regime, Jankuloska and Tsvetanov agreed that all open issues in the region could be settled in the spirit of European principles of cooperation and good-neighbourliness.