The Minister of Defence Lazar Elenovski today at the margin of the meeting with the EU Presidency had a meeting with the German and the Dutch ambassadors to the Alliance, Ulrich Brandenburg and Herman Schaper.

During the meeting the ambassadors estimated the defence reforms in Macedonia as excellent, which was also acknowledged by the second man in the Alliance -Martin Erdman during his visit of Macedonia with the NATO team. However, they also laid emphasis on the need of achieving progress in the political part as well. Elenovski also mentioned that the main challenges for Macedonia are in the political field. He said that Macedonia is a successful example for multiethnic democracy and there is no inter-ethnic tension in the country, rather lack of political dialogue among the parties. During the meetings the topic of discussion was the things that we as a state and Government are ready to undertake in order to resolve all the issues which are pointed out by the international representatives.

Regarding the defence sector Elenovski pointed out that we are entering in a new transformation process that will result in a new force structure and more efficient management of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff, thus all the objective weaknesses regarding the use of the budget will be overcome.

On the meeting with the ambassadors the name issue with Greece was also discussed. Elenovski stated that we have positive relations with Greece in the areas of politics, economy, defence, culture and other areas. The name issue remains open, for which Macedonia works constructively in the process led under the UN auspices and expects the spirit of good neighborly relations with Greece to be improved in the forthcoming period.

Elenovski will have meetings with the British ambassador to NATO Stewart Eldon this afternoon, upon which he will participate to the EU Troika meeting. This EU Troika meeting is held in the framework of the regular meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) attended by the chiefs of diplomacies and Ministers of Defence of the EU member states. Apart from Elenovski, the Ministers of Defence of the other two candidate states for EU membership, Croatia and Turkey as well as Norway and Island, which are NATO members, but not EU members, will also participate to the meeting. The Ministers of Defence of the current chair of the EU-Portugal, the former chair Germany, and the future one Slovenia will also participate to the meeting. During the meeting, Minister Lazar Elenovski will present the progress that Macedonia has made in the area of the European Security and Defence Policy in the context of the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the country.

It has been planned the Minister to have meeting with his Turkish counterpart Vecdi Gonul, tonight in Brussels.