Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani on Tuesday officially opened Macedonia’s new Embassy in Slovakia, alongside Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Ivan Korčok.

I am sure that this new beautiful and warm home of Macedonia in Slovakia, this corner will be another point through which we will develop our cooperation, a kind of hub through which will pass numerous ideas, projects, initiatives that are of common interest to the citizens of both countries. Macedonia and Slovakia have so far developed extremely positive and quality bilateral relations, but I want to believe that with today’s act we are entering a new chapter of intensive bilateral relations between our two countries. I am convinced that through the Embassy we will strengthen our ever-growing friendship; we will be in fact much closer, connected and of course more efficient in the realization of our ambitions, said Osmani.

Macedonia’s Embassy in the capital of Slovakia will provide additional impetus for the comprehensive development of relations between the two countries. With the opening of our diplomatic and consular mission in Slovakia, the efforts to ensure more intensive communication, especially in terms of economic cooperation, culture, education, protection of the interests of our citizens and many other activities, will contribute to a new dimension of the quality of mutual relations, he added.

In addition to exchanging views on bilateral relations, the two ministers took the opportunity to discuss the latest developments, challenges and prospects of our country’s EU integration process, in light of the important decisions ahead for the first intergovernmental conference and the formal start of Macedonia’s accession negotiations with the European Union. On that road, the strong and loud support of Slovakia for the immediate start of negotiations for our country was reaffirmed, an engagement that will continue in the coming period.

The two ministers also exchanged views on other topics of mutual interest, regional co-operation, as well as efforts to address the aftermath of the pandemic and the next steps in this regard.