Skopje, 14 February 2022 (MIA) – Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj met Monday with Albanian Ambassador Fatos Reka, discussing the possible joint start of the European Union accession negotiations and closer cooperation through experience exchange and mutual support in the process. Ambassador Reka reaffirmed Albania’s support to the overcoming of open issues with neighboring Bulgaria in order to accelerate the process, the Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release. Marichikj and Reka highlighted the significance of the current initiatives that North Macedonia and Albania are part of, namely the Open Balkan and the Berlin Process, noting the importance of intensifying bilateral political and economic cooperation in the coming period. Interlocutors welcomed the initiatives for realization of joint infrastructure projects that aim to bring countries closer by cutting travel times and facilitating trade exchange, as well as through EU-funded cross-border cooperation projects and bilateral projects, reads the press release.