President Stevo Pendarovski met today with the Ambassadors of the four member states of the Visegrad Group, accredited in North Macedonia, the Ambassador of Poland, Wojciech Tycinski, of the Czech Republic, Jaroslav Ludva, of the Slovak Republic, Henrik Markus and of Hungary, Laszlo Istvan Dux.
The meeting welcomed the continuous cooperation with the Visegrad Group countries, pointing out their principled support for the European integration process of our country, as well as their solidarity and readiness for practical assistance and sharing expert experiences in that process.
In that regard, President Pendarovski said that, given the current geopolitical circumstances, the unblocking of Macedonia’s European integration and the immediate start of EU accession negotiations are extremely important for long-term stability and security in the region.
In the context of the war in Ukraine, the position was reaffirmed that North Macedonia strongly condemns the Russian invasion and, according to the possibilities and capacities, is ready to provide humanitarian support in relation to the refugee crisis.
They exchanged views on the possible effects of the Russian aggression on the wider region from a security point of view, as well as on the economic implications and modalities for dealing with the challenges.
The interlocutors expressed readiness to enhance and strengthen the cooperation between the Visegrad Group countries and the Western Balkans region, as well as to enable operability and visibility of the funds from the Western Balkans Fund intended for development and support of our region.