President Stevo Pendarovski received today the letters of credence of the newly appointed Ambassador of the Italian Republic, Andrea Silvestri.
At the solemn ceremony of presenting the credentials, President Pendarovski expressed confidence that the Italian support for our European integration will continue unreservedly in the future.
“I am convinced that the start of negotiations with the Union will not only contribute to further stabilization of the situation in the Western Balkans, but will enable us, as a country, to implement the necessary reforms faster and more efficiently, especially in the fight against organized crime and high corruption”, the President emphasized in his address.
Pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic is another confirmation of the need for a united and solidary Europe, President Pendarovski expressed confidence that in the coming period the two countries will continue the positive development trend of relations and expressed interest in strengthening economic ties.
The newly appointed Ambassador of the Italian Republic welcomed the membership of North Macedonia in NATO and expressed strong support for our European aspirations and implementation of internal reforms.
“We are convinced that North Macedonia deserves to start these negotiations as soon as possible. We believe that the first Intergovernmental Conference should be held before the end of the year, despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. North Macedonia is ready to start negotiations and we should not allow bilateral issues of any type and wherever they come from, to hinder the negotiation process. Bilateral issues should be left out of the accession negotiations and should be resolved in appropriate forums”, Ambassador Silvestri said in his address.
North Macedonia’s membership in NATO envisages not only efforts to guarantee security and peace, but also allied solidarity, Ambassador Silvestri said, emphasizing the delivery of respirators that NATO donated to North Macedonia last Friday to help deal with the pandemic which were transported to Skopje on an Italian Air Force plane.
President Pendarovski wished the newly appointed Ambassador success in performing his responsible diplomatic mission and expressed the expectation that his experience will be a significant contribution to the enrichment of the friendly relations between the two countries.
