Norway is a fervent supporter of Macedonia's NATO accession, it actively supported the country at the 2008 Bucharest summit and was deeply disappointed from the absence of the membership invitation, whereas the support will resume even after the Chicago summit, said Norwegian Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide after Monday's meeting with Macedonian counterpart Fatmir Besimi.

The meeting focused on bilateral and global issues, including the preparations for the NATO summit in Chicago.

"Our close cooperation with Macedonia resumes, as partner and contributor to missions. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Macedonian troops in Afghanistan, and I hope we will resume to strengthen cooperation until the country's full-fledged Alliance membership", said Eide.

With regards to the possibility of concluding a special arrangement between Macedonia and NATO at the coming Chicago summit, the Norwegian DM expressed hope that the summit would produce a message that the accession process is ongoing and swift.

"Our support in Bucharest was strong and still remains so. We are trying to see if there is a way to accelerate the membership procedure. I hope we will find a way to demonstrate, after the Chicago summit, that the process is ongoing and swift. We will talk and work on this", stressed Eide.

Minister Besimi said the meeting represented an excellent opportunity for talks over bilateral cooperation in the defense field.

"We agreed that cooperation within international missions has been exceptionally positive. We received praise over our participation in Afghanistan's north, within the military medical center under Norwegian command", emphasized Besimi, adding that Norway gives open support to Macedonia's NATO accession.

According to him, talks also tackled the "smart defense" projects and Euro-Atlantic integration.

"We referred to the Chicago summit topics and the significance of accelerating Euro-Atlantic integration for regional countries. We voiced our interest for a clear signal from Chicago over NATO's enlargement in the region, along with the possibility of Macedonia obtaining an Alliance membership invitation. We are resuming with reforms and our contribution in international missions, acting as a credible partner in the process", said Minister Besimi.

Earlier, DM Besimi met with Norwegian Chief of Staff, General Harald Sunde, and Head of Norwegian Parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Marie Eriksen.