Skopje, 28 February 2025 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi met with the members of the European Parliament taking part in the 23rd EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting, the Parliament said in a press release Friday.

The delegation, led by Croatian MEP Karlo Ressler, JPC co-chair, consists of 13 MEPs from all across the European Parliament’s political spectrum, including Thomas Waits, EP rapporteur for North Macedonia. Michalis Rokas, Ambassador and Head of the EU delegation to the country, was also in attendance.

The interlocutors welcomed the holding of the JPC meeting, the first after the parliamentary elections in North Macedonia and the European Parliament elections, saying they hoped the joint cooperation will resume with the same tempo and intensity in the coming period.

Gashi stressed that the EU integration process remains a top strategic priority of both the government and the assembly, voicing hopes that the strong support of the large majority in the European Parliament for the country’s aspiration to join the EU will resume in the future.

Regarding EU enlargement, the MEPs said there is a window of opportunity that needs to be used, adding that the European Parliament prioritizes strengthened cooperation with Western Balkan parliaments.

“The interlocutors said they are confident the two-day work of the JPC will result in the adoption of joint recommendations that in a balanced and objective way will present all aspects of the relations between the country and the European Union,” said the press release. 

Photo: Parliament