VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, along with party vice president Aleksandar Nikoloski and international secretary Timco Mucunski, met Wednesday with US Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia Kate Byrnes.

Mickoski informed on Facebook about the meeting where the current developments were discussed.

At the meeting we discussed the current political developments in Macedonia, the strategic goals and problems facing the state and the upcoming parliamentary elections. I emphasized that the United States is a strategic partner of the Republic of Macedonia and thanked for the assistance it provides to our country since its independence. I stressed that EU membership would be a key strategic commitment of the new VMRO-DPMNE-led government, and added that the party has a vision and plan to put the country on the fast track to achieve this goal. I have pointed out to my interlocutors that the Republic of Macedonia is facing serious problems on the road to the European Union, and the lack of reforms and crucial problems with crime and corruption are additional argument for opponents of EU enlargement. I have mentioned that there are a number of unresolved corruption cases involving senior SDSM party and state officials. At the same time, I thanked Ambassador Byrnes for the “Open Finance” transparency and accountability tool that provided citizens with insights into how their money is spent, and enabled the detection of numerous abuses by state officials. Regarding the forthcoming parliamentary elections, we agreed that a fair and democratic election process in which citizens will freely express their will will be crucial to the future of the Republic of Macedonia. Jointly we concluded that relations between the two countries are at an excellent level, and that there is a possibility for further cooperation in the field of economy, military cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience, wrote Mickoski.