The Ministry of Foreign Affairs MoFA) is hosting Wednesday through Friday an annual working meeting of the heads of Macedonia’s diplomatic and consular offices with good-neighborliness and regional cooperation, as well as business diplomacy, as its focal point.

Speaking before the opening, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said the meeting this year was being held in the midst of ‘a complex political and security situation, strained with internal political challenges, and amid a prolonged migrant crisis.’

“Considering these circumstances, the focus is put on good-neighborliness and regional cooperation. We (Macedonia) don’t have more important relations than those with our neighbors. I believe Macedonia has been and will be a desired neighbor both in good and in bad times,” stated Poposki.

Our main strategic goal, he added, remains EU and NATO membership and all of our foreign policy bids are made in that direction.

“In the coming period, we will have to double our efforts considering the challenges they are faced with on two fronts – in the EU after Brexit and in NATO following the long-standing obstacle in terms of accession into the Alliance,” said FM Poposki.

Economic promotion, he elaborated, remains one of the top priorities because it is in line with the needs of the citizens of Macedonia – more foreign investments in the country, job creation and improvement of the living standard.

The meeting, in addition to ongoing operations of the Ministry and the diplomatic and consular offices, will be focused on topics of national, regional and global significance, according to the MoFA.

The first day of the Ambassadorial Council is dedicated to the refugee and migrant crisis, security threats and the fight against terrorism, the state of play in Turkey and the Middle East and current developments in Syria.

Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev is scheduled to deliver an address at the event as well as Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski.

The second day of the meeting will see debates on EU-Atlantic integration, NATO-Russia relations, the US election process and how it will affect Macedonia.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will host a session on the future of Europe and the Balkans in need on Thursday. The second days is set to be concluded with an address by President Gjorge Ivanov.

Debates on the third day will cover the issue of Brexit and its consequences in Macedonia and the EU, in Southeast Europe and considering economic diplomacy.

The Ambassadorial Council at the MoFA brings together nearly 50 diplomats.