President Stevo Pendarovski received today the letters of credence of Adela Monica Axinte, newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Republic of North Macedonia.
Welcoming Ambassador Monica Axinte, President Pendarovski at the ceremony of presenting the credentials emphasized the friendly relations between the two countries, which are characterized by open dialogue and mutual efforts for their enrichment in all areas of mutual interest.
“I would like to stress the cooperation and exchange of experiences as allied countries within NATO, as well as the continuous and principled support and assistance from Romania in the field of European integration of my country. In that sense, I expect that North Macedonia will finally and formally start the negotiations for full membership in the European Union by holding the first intergovernmental conference”, President Pendarovski said, emphasizing that in the next period we count on the clear and unequivocal support of Romania, as friend, ally and strategic partner of our region, but also a promoter and lobbyist of North Macedonia in this process.
Emphasizing the high level of development of dynamic bilateral relations, which is confirmed by the close cooperation during the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and in dealing with its consequences, President Pendarovski thanked for the assistance provided by the Romanian government to our health system, while expressing the expectation that in the future the economic cooperation between the two countries will be intensified, as well as the cooperation in the field of education, science, research and innovation.
“I am convinced that during your term, the positive trend of cooperation will continue to be intensified through constructive political dialogue at the highest level. In this regard, I would like to extend an invitation to my esteemed colleague, President Klaus Iohannis to visit the Republic of North Macedonia in the near future. It will be my honor and pleasure to be his host”, President Pendarovski said.
The President also referred to the respect and promotion of the treatment and status of the Macedonian community in Romania and the Romanian community in North Macedonia, which, as he stressed, are a bridge between the two countries, with clearly expressed mutual efforts to nurture, promote and further enrich cooperation in this field.
In her address, Ambassador Monica Axinte said that Romania’s support for the EU enlargement process is strong and constant, including during their presidency of the Council of the EU. Expressing regret that the expected consensus on the adoption of the negotiating framework has not yet been reached, the Romanian Ambassador stressed that the country continues to support joint efforts to identify the necessary consensus to advance the process.
“From this perspective, Romania welcomes the reaffirmation of the commitment of the Republic of North Macedonia to advance the country’s European path, as well as the determination to carry out the necessary reforms, as there is no alternative to the EU integration. Please, count fully on Romania’s support in this endeavor”, Ambassador Monica Axinte said.
In the context of our country’s formal membership in NATO, Ambassador Monica Axinte welcomed the fact that the Republic of North Macedonia has continuously contributed to peacekeeping missions and operations, being, as she stressed, a reliable provider of stability to the regional and global security environment.
“We would very much appreciate the participation of the Republic of North Macedonia to the NATO structures present in Romania, such as the Romanian brigade to the NATO Response Initiative, which would send a clear signal of the willingness to get involved in the security of the Black Sea region”, the Romanian Ambassador said, welcoming the agreement on our country chairing the OSCE in 2023.
The Ambassador stressed that Romania especially appreciates the progress made by the Republic of North Macedonia in building an authentic multiethnic and multicultural society, expressing readiness for cooperation to preserve the cultural and linguistic identity of our respective minorities.
Wishing success in performing the responsible duty, President Pendarovski said that Ambassador Monica Axinte will enjoy our full support and cooperation.
