Brussels, 26 June 2024 (MIA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Timcho Mucunski on the second day of his first working visit to Brussels since taking office earlier this week will hold a series of meetings with EU officials.

Mucunski is scheduled to meet with the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman at the European Commission, MIA reports from Brussels.

Mucunski also will visit the European Parliament for meetings with the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, German MEP David McAllister and its members, Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyk, the EP's rapporteur for the country, and Dutch MEP Tineke Strick, a member of the delegation of the EU - North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. 

On Tuesday, the FM met with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO HQ in Brussels. After the meeting, Mucunski stated that as a NATO member, his country has to be responsible, especially amid the complex geopolitical context in the continent we're living in.

"It's not a question of should we, we have to keep pursuing these investments. It is in the interest of the Alliance, in which we are a member, but we also believe it is also in our national interest," Mucunski said reiterating the country is committed to meeting the two percent defense spending target. 

Expressing satisfaction with the Stoltenberg meeting, the new minister said it was positive and sincere in which he underlined the commitments of the new Hristijan Mickoski-led government's in relation to the country's NATO membership as well as the support of the deterrence and defense policy and the continued support for Ukraine. 

Mucunski added they also discussed the coming NATO summit, which marks the Alliance's 75th anniversary. PM Mickoski will be the head of the country's delegation at the summit.

MIA file photo