Skopje, 20 September 2023 (MIA) — Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani met with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar at the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss the latest political developments in the country and the region as well as the need to speed up the EU integration of the Western Balkans.

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release, FM Osmani thanked special envoy Escobar on the unwavering support of the USA for North Macedonia's EU accession journey as well as for the implementation of reforms regarding the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

They also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation within the framework of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries.

This cooperation has alread produced results, the release says. "Bilateral relations have been raised to a higher level, our strategic partnership has strengthened, and also of note is the progress in the domestic reform agenda and democratic development," it adds.

Osmani and Escobar also reaffirmed the countries' support for Ukraine in dealing with the Russian military aggression and emphasized the strong partnership within NATO.

North Macedonia's chairing the OSCE, the US Adriatic Charter and the South-East European Cooperation Process were also welcomed as indicators of the significant role of North Macedonia has on the international stage, especially regarding global security challenges, the release notes. mr/