Macedonia's Health Minister Nikola Todorov and the Rector of Istanbul University, Prof. Dr. Yunus Soylet, signed Monday in Skopje a memo of cooperation.

Under the document physicians from Macedonia may obtain further training in numerous spheres of medicine at Istanbul University, Todorov said after the signing ceremony.

This upgraded training is aimed to improve the quality of every-day healthcare services in Macedonia, he said.

Thus far a total of 500 medical workers have completed some of the trainings, provided under the Ministry of Health's project for regular education of medical staff in prominent healthcare institutions abroad, Todorov added.

"Istanbul University is the oldest in Turkey. It has many experienced professors and specialists. There is another reason for my happiness today - Macedonia is my father's homeland and I am honoured to be able to serve to this country," Soylet said.