Skopje, 13 December 2021 (MIA) – North Macedonia and the Czech Republic have been fostering friendship and partnership based on mutual respect, trust and understanding, President Stevo Pendarovski and outgoing Czech Ambassador Miroslav Toman concluded at a meeting Monday. North Macedonia, said Pendarovski, highly appreciates the continued and open support of the Czech Republic of its EU integration process, his office said. Czech Ambassador Toman also held a farewell meeting with Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi, where the Speaker thanked him for his engagement to improve the countries’ bilateral relations, said Xhaferi’s office. Ambassador Toman said that the Czech Republic during its chairmanship of the EU Council in the second half of 2022 will prioritize the bloc’s enlargement with Western Balkan countries.