Skopje, 18 November 2022 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met Friday with the new Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in North Macedonia, Sophia Philippidou. Speaker Xhaferi, congratulating her on the appointment and wishing her success in her post, conveyed the conviction that cooperation with the Embassy in Skopje will continue during her term. “The steps taken by the two governments over the past years resulted in more intensive bilateral cooperation, including our membership in the Adriatic Ionian Initiative as well as NATO membership,” Xhaferi said. He added that within those frameworks, the institutional cooperation in the field of defence has also been strengthened, in relation to safeguarding North Macedonia's airspace. “The talks tackled the proactive initiative on our part to implement bilateral visits at all levels, including at the level of presidents of parliaments as well as for the progress in the field of European integration and the upcoming activities that will enable the opening of clusters and chapters in the EU accession negotiations process,” Parliament said in a press release. Ambassador Philippidou commended the realization of the meeting, and also agreed that the Prespa Agreement enabled relations to deepen, adding that there is always a possibility of additional dynamics and energy into its implementation. An important segment of this cooperation is the promotion of the parliamentary dimension and the exchange of experiences between the parliamentarians on matters of mutual interest. She reiterated the official state position of full support for the country's membership in the EU and offering assistance and expertise during this process, as well as the support of the Greek Government in tackling the energy crisis. Interlocutors agreed that joint cooperation and assistance to the Ukrainian people and institutions within NATO should continue, and the potentials in the field of economy, infrastructure and tourism should be properly used by both countries.