Skopje, 12 August 2021 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met with Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL), who is paying a visit to the Republic of North Macedonia. Xhaferi welcomed the mission and efforts of Secretary General Al-Issa in promoting interfaith dialogue, religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence globally, his Office said in a press release. He also noted that the Republic of North Macedonia is a multiethnic, multireligious and multicultural secular state, and respect for different religions, culture, language and ethnic origin are cornerstones of the security and prosperity of the country. During the discussion, Xhaferi briefed Secretary General Al-Issa about the country’s foreign policy priorities, “namely NATO membership, a goal we achieved in March 2020 and EU accession, a goal on which the Parliament is continuously working to deliver concrete results and meet European aspirations,” he added. Regarding regional cooperation and relations with neighbors, Xhaferi said "we are constantly striving to create a positive atmosphere and resolve bilateral issues in the spirit of good neighborliness and basic European values." MWL Secretary General Al-Issa underscoring that diversity is a treasure, he praised the interethnic and inter-religious cooperation in the Republic of North Macedonia, and commended the important role of the Parliament in building coexistence, which can serve as an example in the region and beyond. According to the press release, Secretary General Al-Issa also referred to the fight against extremism and radicalism and stressed that the family, education and institutions are most important for their suppression. Underlining that the Muslim World League attaches great importance to the education of children as the surest protection against extremism and radicalism, he briefed that the conferences organized by this non-governmental organization invite representatives of the Vatican, Buddhist organizations, Jewish religious organizations to work together to build bridges between communities locally, regionally and globally. He noted that the Muslim World League foster excellent cooperation with all Western Balkan countries and continues to work committedly to build new partnerships between different communities, religions and nations, the press release read.