Today, President Stevo Pendarovski, as part of his participation in the NATO Summit in Madrid, met with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, to discuss bilateral cooperation between Northern Macedonia and Germany in the political, security and defense area, as well as the situation with Macedonia's European integration, with the interlocutors assessing the relations between the two countries as friendly, filled with trust and mutual respect.

Pendarovski, as reported by his office, expressed gratitude for the strong and significant support from Germany for our European integration and the start of accession negotiations with the EU.

The meeting also discussed the security and stability of the Western Balkan countries in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Pendarovski emphasized Macedonia's position on Russian military aggression in Ukraine, reaffirming its strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

The two also discussed the NATO enlargement process, with President Pendarovski emphasizing that Northern Macedonia is strongly committed to the Alliance's open door policy, and that Finland and Sweden's NATO membership will further strengthen the Alliance's security.