Macedonia's Defense Minister Zoran Jolevski held talks Tuesday in Rome with his Italian counterpart Roberta Pinotti and Nicola Lattore, the Senate Defense Committee Chairman.

At the meetings, Jolevski presented arguments why Macedonia deserves to be invited into NATO, and touched on the fact that the country has met the criteria for starting the EU accession talks, the Ministry of Defense said in a press release.

The accession of Macedonia and Montenegro to NATO will contribute to further strengthening the stability of the region and Europe, Jolevski said at the meetings.

Jolevski and his hosts exchanged opinions on developments in Mid-East, especially the ISIS operations and the need for stabilization of this region. Pinotti and Lattore expected for this conflict to last for a longer period of time and emphasized the need for international cooperation to deal with this challenge to the security.

Italy has always supported the EU-integration of the Western Balkan region, especially Macedonia's accession to the EU and NATO, Lattore said. One of the priorities of Italy's EU Presidency in the area of defense policy is a formation of European defense forces and an integration of the Western Balkans into NATO and the EU.

Italy, he said, remains an active supporter of Macedonia's aspirations to join the North-Atlantic Alliance and the European Union. Lattore extended gratitude for the participation of Macedonian troops in the Afghan ISAF mission.