The objective is for Croatia to become one of Macedonia's five biggest economic partners, the Macedonian President, Gjorge Ivanov, said in Skopje on Thursday after talks with his Croatian counterpart, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who said Zagreb would support Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration.

A large part of the presidents’ meeting focused on the strengthening of economic cooperation and Macedonia’s aspirations to join NATO and the EU.

“I am confident there is unused potential for stronger economic cooperation between the two countries,” Ivanov told a joint press conference with Grabar-Kitarovic.

Grabar-Kitarovic said that many Croatian companies were already doing business in Macedonia and that during her two-day visit she would hold talks with Macedonian officials about the possibility of increasing the investments.

“I am confident there is room for further investment and expansion of trade, not only in the food industry, but also in the high-tech sector and the construction industry. Croatian companies are interested in taking part in the reconstruction of Macedonian roads and railways, in military and defence cooperation, military technology, and so on,” Grabar-Kitarovic said.

Croatia-Macedonia trade in 2017 totalled €185.8 million, or 3.8 percent less than in 2016. Since 2012, Croatia has recorded a surplus in trade with Macedonia, with last year’s surplus amounting to 44,5 million kuna (€6 million), associates of the Croatian president said.

Ivanov said he appreciated Croatia’s support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Macedonia, whose journey is blocked by Greece because of the two countries’ dispute over Macedonia’s name.

He added that the case of Croatia and Slovenia showed that bilateral disputes should not be an obstacle to the memberships of NATO and the EU.

Grabar-Kitarovic said she was confident that the Croatian embassy in Skopje, the so-called contact point between NATO and Macedonia, would help accelerate Macedonia’s path to membership and that, following a solution to the dispute with Greece, an invitation would automatically be sent to Skopje.