Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski met with U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday and lobbied for his country's membership in NATO and the European Union, DPA reported. "We have both emphasized the importance of Macedonia's NATO integration and EU candidacy in cementing our progress and helping the region make the final step on the path of the Europe," Buckovski said. Bush thanked Buckovski for his country's contribution to the U.S.- led military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and commended him for working to reform his country, saying such measures were an important step toward European integration.
