Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic met with his North Macedonia counterpart Slavjanka Petrovska a day after Kosovo’s deputy Defense Minister Semsi Sila met with senior defense officials in Skoplje.

Sila, who headed a delegation of his ministry and the Kosovo Security Forces, met with his North Macedonia counterpart Baskim Hassani and Deputy Chief of Staff Azim Nuredin to discuss promoting bilateral defense cooperation.

A Serbian Defense Ministry press release quoted Vucevic as telling Petrovska that Belgrade wants to develop friendly relations with North Macedonia and the other countries in the region in line with mutual interests. He expressed readiness to promote bilateral military cooperation with North Macedonia.

The North Macedonia Defense Ministry quoted Petrovska as saying that maintaining regional stability is a priority which can be achieved through open dialogue and good neighbor relations. She said that the full integration of the countries of the Western Balkans into the European Union will contribute to strengthening stability and cooperation in the region.