Albania, Macedonia to bolster cooperation on EU integration

TIRANA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Albania's foreign minister Ditmir Bushati and Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani voiced here Wednesday the need to further bolster cooperation in 2018.

The two officials focused on the need to foster bilateral and regional cooperation, particularly within the commitment of the two governments at Pogradec meeting to build Albanian-Macedonian relations in a new qualitative stage, foreign ministry said in a press release.

They also talked about cooperation on the construction of a European region in accordance with the commitments of the Summit of Trieste and the aim of approximation with the European Union (EU).

Bushati welcomed achievements of reform agenda undertaken by Macedonian Premier Zoran Zaev to accelerate Macedonia's membership in the EU and NATO, and strengthen good neighborliness.

Bushati assured Osmani that Albania would continue to support Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration.

Talking about forthcoming developments, the two senior officials shared the view that the European Commission's (EC) expected strategy and the Bulgarian EU Presidency constitute a moment of special importance for revitalizing and promoting the prospect of enlargement in the Western Balkans.

On his part, Osmani said at the joint press conference with Bushati that Macedonia sees 2018 as a golden opportunity to get closer to EU and NATO integration, and he voiced hope that the EC would issue positive strategy for both countries next month. Enditem