FM Osmani Speaks on Phone with US Assistant State Secretary Escobar

Foreign Affairs Minister Bujar Osmani spoke on the phone on Wednesday with US Assistant State Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Gabriel Escobar. The interlocutors discussed the ongoing bilateral relations between official Skopje and Sofia, concluding that the two countries need to reach a mutually acceptable solution for their bilateral issues in order for Bulgaria to unblock the start of the EU accession negotiations for North Macedonia. Osmani and Escobar agreed that the EU enlargement is transforming into a security policy amidst the latest events in Ukraine, with Osmani extending gratitude to the US for their support for the Euro-Atlantic integration processes of North Macedonia. Osmani also accented the necessity of a strengthened US presence in the region as a guarantee for the regional and European security.