President Stevo Pendarovski received today the Letters of Credence of the newly appointed Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Korea to the Republic of North Macedonia.
At the ceremony of presenting the credentials by Jose Luis Lozano Garcia, newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Republic of North Macedonia, President Pendarovski said that the two countries are linked by traditional and sincere friendship. In that context, President Pendarovski said that the Kingdom of Spain is an important ally and partner of North Macedonia.
“Ahead of us is a period of defining and coordinating joint activities, given our chairmanship of the OSCE in 2023 and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2023”, President Pendarovski said.
At the ceremony, President Pendarovski added that as a country we appreciate the involvement of the Kingdom of Spain in crucial moments in our history, emphasizing the efforts of the Spanish Parliament to ratify our country’s NATO Accession Protocol in times of political and health crisis.
“We are also grateful for the support of the Kingdom of Spain so far in terms of starting the accession negotiations of North Macedonia for EU membership. I believe that the further blockade imposed by one of the member states of the Union is not in anyone’s interest and I am convinced that the start of negotiations will not only contribute to further stabilization of the situation in the Western Balkans, but will allow us, as a country, faster and more efficient implementation of the necessary reforms, especially in the field of fight against organized crime and high-level corruption”, President Pendarovski stressed.
Ambassador Garcia stressed that as NATO partners, the two countries have strengthened and enriched their relations, adding that Spain and North Macedonia belong to the same European family.
“Our mutual strength as NATO partner countries provides us with a platform through which we can strengthen friendly ties, but it is also an impetus for joint membership in the European Union to become a reality as soon as possible. Spain, as has been the case so far, will spare no effort to achieve that goal”, Ambassador Garcia said.
At the ceremony of presenting the credentials by Lee Ho-shik, newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Korea resident in Sofia, President Pendarovski said that after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2019, there are numerous opportunities to enrich cooperation, as well as for mutual acquaintance with the rich cultural and historical heritage of the two peoples.
In building our relations, as a foundation, we share common values such as multilateralism, respect for human rights, preservation of the environment and democracy, with a strong focus on integral human development”, said President Pendarovski.
In that regard, at the meeting, the interlocutors expressed interest in promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of economy, agriculture, culture, education and sports.
President Pendarovski wished the newly appointed Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Spain, Jose Luis Lozano Garcia, and of the Republic of Korea, Lee Ho-shik, success in their responsible diplomatic duties.
