Macedonian citizens who have worked in Kosovo for a certain period and vice versa will have their years of experience recognized in order to have pension rights in the home country.

Minister of Labor and Social Policy Spiro Ristovski and Kosovo counterpart Nenad Rasic signed the agreement on regulating the issue in Pristina on Thursday.

"We have signed an exceptionally significant agreement for the citizens of Kosovo and Macedonia, taking into consideration it guarantees and recognizes the years of experience of Macedonian citizens who had worked in Kosovo and vice versa. We have been negotiating for three and a half years and I believe we have made a truly revolutionary step forward in the section of pension and disability insurance", said Minister Ristovski.

Since its independence, Macedonia has concluded social insurance agreements with 18 countries - Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, BiH, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Montenegro, Australia and Canada - with ongoing procedure over ratification of such treaty with the Kingdom of Denmark.

The Government has initiated talks for social insurance agreements with France, Slovakia and New Zealand, whereas negotiations with Albania are in the final stage.