Skopje, 25 July 2022 (MIA) - The Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has scheduled a session on Tuesday during which several ambassadors of North Macedonia to foreign countries will present their diplomatic platforms. These include North Macedonia's Ambassador to the United States Zoran Popov, the newly appointed Ambassador to Canada, Agron Buxhaku, the Ambassador to Norway, Driton Kuci, and the Ambassador to Belgium, Metodija Belevski. This past Friday, the Foreign Ministry said that as part of its efforts to conclude the procedure for sending several new ambassadors abroad it has sent to Parliament a total of five requests for the Foreign Affairs Committee to scheduled a session allowing the ambassadors to present their overview of North Macedonia's relations with the receiving country. "To strengthen the diplomatic network and fill in the vacant ambassadorial posts, we expect the Foreign Affairs Committee to schedule a session as soon as possible. It is crucial in this important and sensitive period for the foreign policy and the ongoing processes, including the Strategic Dialogue with the United States and the negotiations for EU membership," the Ministry said. It also revealed that agréments have been received involving three ambassadors, including Viktor Dimovski, the new Ambassador to France, the Ambassador to Bulgaria, Agneza Rusi, and Jovan Manasijevski, the new Ambassador to Turkey. Earlier, President Stevo Pendarovski's office said that the presentation of the candidates for head of diplomatic missions before the working body of the assembly in charge of foreign policy is not part of the defined legal preparations before taking up the post, adding it is a years-long practice that aims to inform the public about the person and their views before they are deployed as heads of some of the country's diplomatic offices abroad. "President Pendarovski respect this established two-decade practice. At the same time, the President is informed about the work of the parliamentary committee and expects the Committee to schedule a session where the candidate for ambassadors will present their thesis. In the event a session is not scheduled and there is an intent to blockade, the decisions to deploy ambassadors abroad will be made in line with the strategic interests of the Republic of North Macedonia," Pendarovski's office responded to MIA's question sent before the session was scheduled.