President Stevo Pendarovski welcomed the approach of the new Bulgarian Prime Minister to Macedonia, assessing that it is of particular importance for overcoming the dispute between the two countries. Pendarovski dismissed rumors that not getting a date could affect the destabilization of the country, adding that similar predictions were made in 2008, when the country joined NATO, but that did not happen.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that the place of Kosovo and Macedonia is in NATO and the EU, and Brussels should give up injustice against the citizens of Kosovo as soon as possible and approve visa liberalization. Osmani expects the two countries to exchange practices on the common path to the EU.

The process of European integration remains a priority above the priorities and is a process in which we help each other and continue to help each other. It should be noted that although Kosovo has met all the criteria for visa liberalization, the EU has not yet fulfilled its promise. I want to thank President Pendarovski for being vocal in the visa liberalization process for Kosovo as a neighboring country and at the same time for the mutual support we give each other in the European integration process in general.

The two presidents concluded that the “Open Balkans” without the involvement of all Western Balkan countries is not functional, so the inclusion of Kosovo in that process guarantees success for its functioning. During his visit to Kosovo, Pendarovski also met with Parliament Speaker Glauk Konjufca and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Pendarovski’s visit is also the first visit of a Macedonian President to Kosovo.