site.btaSiljanovska Will Not See Radev in Rome, Ready for Meeting at Earliest Opportunity

North Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is ready to meet with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev but this meeting will not take place in Rome where they both are visiting at the head of delegations, the media in North Macedonia report.

"Both President Rumen Radev and I expressed readiness for a meeting, but it will not take place now. Both delegations have a schedule of their own, but we said that we will go ahead with the meeting as soon as possible, at the earliest opportunity," Siljanovska said in a TV 21 report, replying to a journalist's question immediately after her audience with Pope Francis.

The President said that the Pontiff and she concurred on the current issues, that the Vatican backs her country on the road to the EU and supports the Western Balkans. "We said that the successes are obvious. We set an example of inter-faith dialogue, and it will continue, the Vatican trusts our strength," Siljanovska said, quoted by TV 21.

The office of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia said in a press release that at the audience Siljanovska-Davkova expressed her confidence that during her term in office her country "will aspire even more vigorously to deepen the comprehensive relations with the Holy See, seeking to strengthen the partnership and nurture mutual respect based on common historical, cultural and religious traditions."

The sides considered the opportunities or the advancement of institutional cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture and exchanged views on the current challenges facing the Catholic community in North Macedonia.

President Siljanovska-Davkova had a meeting with the State Secretary of the Holy See, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, at which a firm willingness to continue constructive cooperation in the spirit of mutual understanding and common values was expressed, the press release said.