Foreign Secretary Hague welcomes Macedonia's commitment to contributing to ISAF Mission.

Nikola Poposki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, paid a working visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 25-27 March. Within the framework of his visit, he met his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary William Hague, with whom he discussed the bilateral relations between the Republic of Macedonia and Great Britain. Both officials agreed on that occasion that in addition to the more frequent contacts and communication, the economic cooperation intensified, too, through increased direct British investments in the Republic of Macedonia.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Special attention during the conversation was paid to the issues of multilateral priority to the Republic of Macedonia - its aspiration for integration into NATO and the EU as soon as possible - and in this context concrete British support for the Republic of Macedonia at the approaching summit in NATO in Chicago was sought. Foreign Secretary Hague welcomed Macedonia's commitment to contributing to the ISAF Mission in Afghanistan, which only confirms the country's seriousness and maturity for full-fledged membership of the Alliance. Minister Poposki also informed about the recently commenced accession dialogue between the Republic of Macedonia and the European Union.

Apart from the meeting at the Foreign Office, Minister Poposki also met the Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Group for Cooperation with Macedonia, Karen Lumley, the chairpersons and representatives of the EU Committee of the House of Lords, the chairpersons of the EU Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, as well as the Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Also, a separate meeting was organized with representatives of the Macedonian diaspora in Great Britain.

Minister Poposki's lecture at the European Council on Foreign Relations on the subject "Macedonia, NATO and the EU: Knocking on an Open Door?" attended by representatives of political, academic and media circles, the diplomatic corps in London and eminent guests, such as former NATO Secretary General George Robertson, received considerably publicity as well.