Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic expressed his gratitude to Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski for appointing a Serb to the position of Deputy Prime Minister, BGNES reported.
Vucevic congratulated the new government of North Macedonia, noting that "it will bear responsibility to the citizens". He indicated that he did not remember a Serb being a member of the Macedonian government until now, referring to Ivan Stoilkovic, the leader of the Serbs in North Macedonia.
"That is why we are grateful to the Macedonian Prime Minister Mickoski and we are waiting for him in Belgrade. I am happy about the continuation of the cooperation between the two countries," said Vucevic, quoted by the Serbian official Politika.
On 5 September, he received the Macedonian delegation in Belgrade, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Community Relations Ivan Stoilkovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Timcho Mutsunski.
Cooperation within the framework of the "Open Balkans" and the construction of the railway connection between Belgrade and Skopje with a high-speed train were discussed at the meeting.
"The visit reflects the excellent bilateral relations between the Macedonian and Serbian states. It is an excellent opportunity to define the next joint steps and activities," Stoilkovic said.
"The working meeting is also a preparation for Vucevic's visit to Skopje at the invitation of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, planned for the end of September. I hope that the next meetings will be as productive as today's and, above all, will contribute to deepening the friendly relations between the two countries", added the Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister.
He also touched on the topic of the construction of Corridor 10 between Belgrade and Skopje.
"This corridor in the Macedonian railways has been in a bad state for a long time, but the new government and Minister Nikolovski pay more attention to it than to other corridors," noted Stoilkovic.
Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said that "there are no open issues between the two countries" and called for "upgrading these relations, for the strengthening of the Western Balkans and joining the EU".
The Prime Minister of Serbia requested the establishment of a joint commission for economic cooperation.
The visit of the Macedonian delegation continues today with meetings with Finance Minister Sinisa Mali and Energy Minister Dubravka Gedović Handanović. | BGNES
