President Türk receives Macedonian President

Ljubljana, 18.5.2009  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, received the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr Gjorge Ivanov, who is on a working visit to Slovenia. Dr Türk and Dr Ivanov agreed that relations between Slovenia and Macedonia are excellent in both the political and economic fields, and that there are no unresolved issues between the two countries. Dr Ivanov pointed out that Slovenia is the first foreign country he has visited since taking office as President of the Republic of Macedonia. He stressed that this visit is an expression of respect and gratitude for all the support and help offered by Slovenia to Macedonia in the past in its efforts to join Euro-Atlantic structures. He said that Macedonia expected to be granted the liberalisation of the visa regime between Macedonia and the European Union by the end of 2009 and to begin accession negotiations as soon as possible. Dr Ivanov also outlined the state of play in solving the dispute with Greece over the use of Macedonia’s constitutional name, pointing out that Macedonia is striving to reach a reasonable compromise.

President Türk supported Macedonia’s endeavours, saying that the Macedonian identity does not threaten anyone and that this aspect should not be overlooked. Slovenia has recognised the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name, fully supporting the principle that every country has the fundamental right to use the name it has chosen for itself. He added, however, that care should be taken not to stir up sensitivity and emotions arising in connection with the use of the name of Alexander the Great in Macedonia, especially in the light of current endeavours to resolve the dispute. He advocated Macedonia's forging closer ties with the European Union and NATO, saying that he hoped that the liberalisation of the visa regime would be granted by the end of this year, since it is human communication which offers the best guarantee of success in future integration. Dr Türk assessed the recent successful local and presidential elections in Macedonia as a sign of the country’s greater political stability and maturity, praising Macedonia for its progress in meeting EU accession criteria and expressing hope that the assessment this year would also be positive.

Their talks also focused on the reforms introduced by Macedonia in the field of justice and on dealing with the global financial and economic crisis. Dr Ivanov noted that the situation in the field of justice was improving despite certain problems, which the country intends to solve with substantial reforms in public administration. He went on to outline the problems faced by the country in the face of the crisis. He assessed, however, that despite reduced exports and the high unemployment rate, Macedonia, thanks to its food production and abundant water resources, would not be one of the countries most affected by the crisis. The crisis has prompted Macedonia to think about new solutions, especially in the area of energy, Dr Ivanov said, citing the example of plans to harness solar energy.

President Türk assessed economic cooperation between the two countries as successful; excellent cooperation is reflected in an increased volume of trade and Slovenian investment in Macedonia, thus forming a basis for good political relations. Dr Ivanov agreed, saying that friendly relations and mutual respect between the two nations are also reflected in the relations between the leaders of the two countries. President Türk explained that he was pleased with the bid of Slovenia’s telecommunications provider Telekom Slovenia for the Macedonian telecommunications company Cosmofon. He emphasised that it was Slovenia’s wish to develop relations with Macedonia into a long-term and stable partnership and, as an investor, to set an example for other countries to follow, thus attracting other foreign investors.