26 August 2021 Skopje — Parliament is holding its first session on Sept. 14, and the census starts on Sept. 5. I urge you to be serious. We haven’t had a census in 20 years. There has to be a census and there will be a census. After 20 years, what are we? A state, a nation? There must be a census, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in response to a reporter asking about VMRO-DPMNE’s idea to carry out an electronic census instead. Skopje — Giving shelter to the Afghans will cost the country Mden 74,000, but we don’t know how many will arrive, as the number is constantly changing. Some have decided to go elsewhere, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Thursday. Skopje – The epidemic, floods and fires reminded us of the importance of strengthening regional togetherness, Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska said on Thursday during an event marking the handover of the presidency over the Southeastern Europe Defence Ministerial Process and the 22th anniversary of Southeastern-Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG). Skopje – Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will pay a visit to North Macedonia at the end of the month, during which stakeholders will evaluate the implementation of the Prespa Agreement and discuss Greece’s support for North Macedonia’s EU integration, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said on Thursday. Skopje — Ahead of the 2021 Population and Housing Census in September, the Union of Croats in the Republic of Macedonia (ZHRM) has launched a campaign to raise the awareness of Croatian people, especially young Croats living in the country, about the importance of taking part and being counted as Croatian in the census. Skopje – Base stations, aiming to facilitate and speed up the process of issuing travel documents for members of the Macedonian diaspora, will be installed at 15 of North Macedonia’s diplomatic and consular missions, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani and Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski told the promotion of the stations on Thursday. Skopje – The vaccination point within the small sports hall at the Boris Trajkovski Arena opened on Thursday morning. Citizens who wish to get vaccinated can do so without scheduling an appointment. Vaccination also resumes at vaccination points nationwide, Health Minister Venko Filipche said at a press conference on Thursday. Skopje – The number of Afghan civilians who will be provided shelter in North Macedonia stands at 750. It continues to fluctuate, but it’s always within the limit determined by the government in regard to how many people the country can take in until documents for their final destinations are processed, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said on Thursday. Skopje – Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski, UNDP Resident Representative Narine Sahakyan and Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany Otto Graf promoted on Thursday the new IT equipment that will enable more efficient Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) monitoring and control in the country. The equipment consists of 74 computers, 52 printers and 50 scanners, which will be deployed in the Internal Affairs Sectors and police stations in order to enable smooth and efficient functioning of the Ministry of Interior’s information system. Gostivar – A group of emigrants and their families from the Gostivar villages Chegrane, Forino and Chajle who work in Switzerland have purchased and sent back to Gostivar 29 oxygen ventilators for Covid-19 patients. Tirana — Twenty-four Macedonian children from the Steblevo and Moglica villages in Golo Brdo, Albania, will start the 2021-2022 school year in a new school, thanks to government funding, according to Albert Kaleci, administrator of the Steblevo administrative unit. Tel Aviv — If the coronavirus infections rate in Israel continues to remain high in the coming days, there will be a reassessment regarding the opening of the school year, scheduled for Sept. 1, a senior Ministry of Health official told the Knesset’s Constitution Committee. Islamabad/Berlin — Several European countries have announced an end to their military evacuations from Kabul’s chaotic main airport, as fears grew of an attack on the site where thousands are still hoping to flee Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.