President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova received today the Letters of Credence of Jose Rui Velez Caroco, newly appointed Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic, resident in Belgrade.
At the ceremony of presenting the Letters of Credence, President Siljanovska Davkova said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and pointed out that there are numerous opportunities for further sincere deepening of cooperation, both bilaterally and internationally, with special interest in intensifying economic ties.
Emphasizing that the continuous support from the Portuguese Republic for the integration of the countries of the region in the European structures, and within those frameworks also of our country, has always been of great importance, President Siljanovska Davkova said that it is significant that it continues with even greater intensity in the coming period.
“We deserve to start EU accession negotiations without further delay. I want to reiterate that both the Government and I remain fully committed to the necessary reforms related to our integration into the EU. However, this process must be carried out in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria. If our EU integration process is not de-bilateralized, I believe it will set a harmful precedent for all future candidate countries. Other countries can use bilateral disputes as an excuse to block the path of the candidate countries”, President Siljanovska Davkova said.
In his address, the Portuguese Ambassador Jose Rui Velez Caroco said that the common values that unite the two countries, as well as the cooperation within the framework of NATO, for the benefit of the Euro-Atlantic security, are of particular importance for ensuring freedom and democracy. He said that Portugal fully supports the entry of our country into the EU, as well as other candidate countries from the Western Balkans, adding that with the reform agenda and the Growth Plan, this is a moment of opportunity for everyone that should not be missed.
“In these challenging times we are now facing globally, with the aggression war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, as well as many other harmful violent terrible tragedies worldwide, it’s imperative to jointly defend justice and peace, with a multilateral perspective, according to the United Nations Charter principles”, the newly appointed Portuguese Ambassador said at the credentials presentation ceremony.
President Siljanovska Davkova wished Ambassador Jose Rui Velez Caroco success in the performance of his responsible position.
