At the invitation of his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Guido Westerwelle, has paid a one-day working visit today (22 February 2013) to the Republic of Macedonia.

At their meeting, the chiefs of Macedonian and German diplomacies have both underlined the necessity of maintaining the positive momentum in the European integration of the Republic of Macedonia, deeming it as being a significant step towards the country being finally set a date for opening EU accession negotiations.

On that note, Minister Poposki has updated his esteemed German guest on the dynamics under which the ongoing reforms in the country are being pursued, briefing him, at the same time, on both the progress and the results that have been achieved with regard to the specific set of reforms which directly correlate to the fulfilment of the Copenhagen membership criteria that have in turn led to the European Commission issuing a recommendation to open accession negotiations with Macedonia on four consecutive occasions. Moreover, Minister Poposki has reiterated the Macedonian expectation for further German support on the road to the country becoming a full-fledged member of the great Euro-Atlantic family.

German Foreign Minister Westerwelle has, on his part, emphasized that Germany remains a staunch supporter of the European integration of Macedonia, expressing, on that note, his belief that the European perspective represents a vital interest for all Macedonian citizens.

Speaking of the bilateral cooperation between Macedonia and Germany, Ministers Poposki and Westerwelle have particularly welcomed the positive development of the economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as the efforts that they have invested in further advancing it. In that context, Minister Poposki has expressed his appreciation for the continuous support that the German federal government has been affording the Republic of Macedonia in pursuing a series of projects aimed at further boosting and accelerating the country’s overall economic development.

In addition to that, the two Ministers have also used the opportunity to exchange their views on a number of topical issues on the international agenda.