Defense cooperation with Greece to resume.

Defense Minister Zoran Konjanovski met his new Greek counterpart Evangelos Venizelos in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the sidelines of the meeting of ministers of defense of Southeast Europe. The Macedonian defense minister invited his counterpart to visit Macedonia.

"I had a brief conversation with Minister Venizelos. I invited him to visit Macedonia either officially or unofficially. We talked about continuing cooperation between our two ministries and armies that was in a way interrupted in 2007," Minister Konjanovski said.

He underlined at the meeting with Venizelos that Macedonia was ready to resume military cooperation with Greece.

Greek Minister Venizelos agreed with Minister Konjanovski that defense cooperation should continue as being in the best interest of the good neighborly imitate and the security architecture in the Balkans.

News agencies report that all ministers from Southeast Europe agreed that their mutual cooperation and trust should be enhanced, which would also raise regional stability.

The ministers talked about the possibility of deploying multinational brigades of the countries of Southeast Europe as part of international peacekeeping missions.

"Macedonia has always been participating in multinational brigades. Next year our country will have its own commander of such a brigade headquartered in Larisa, Greece," Minister Konjanovski said.