The 25th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the US and Republic of Macedonia which will be marked next year as well as the expected Macedonia’s NATO membership, would be an additional impetus to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two friendly states, said President Stevo Pendarovski who met the visiting United States Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer on Tuesday.

Pendarovski thanked the US Senate for the ratification of Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol and expressed confidence that the US will continue its unreserved support for achieving Macedonia’s strategic goals.

Pendarovski stressed the importance of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent visit to Macedonia, assessing it as a confirmation of the strategic partnership between the two countries and the shared commitment to a stable and prosperous region.

At the meeting, Pendarovski stressed that there are no alternatives for the Western Balkan countries other than EU membership.