Skopje, 14 October 2022 (MIA) - Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met Friday with newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of North Macedonia, Ami Larsson Jain. Speaker Xhaferi assessed bilateral relations as excellent and expressed his gratitude to Sweden for the continuous support for the democratic and economic development of North Macedonia through numerous development projects, and especially for the support for our strategic goal, full membership in the European Union, the Parliament said in a press release. Xhaferi referred to the phase of negotiations with the European Union and the screening process that is ongoing. He emphasized the complete compliance of the country with the European foreign and security policy and expressed the hope that during its EU presidency in the first half of 2023, Sweden will again demonstrate its firm commitment to the integration of the countries of the Western Balkans. Regarding Sweden's membership in NATO, he expressed confidence that at a time when the continent is facing a major security crisis, it will make a significant contribution to common security. He also expressed hope that after the recent parliamentary elections in Sweden, the cooperation for democratic development to transfer experiences on topics of common interest between the deputies of the two legislative houses, which took place in the past two years, will continue with the new composition of the Swedish Riksdag. Ambassador Larsson Jain expressed gratitude to the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia for being was among the first to ratify the protocols for Sweden's membership in NATO. Jain emphasized that the dramatic changes in the security order in Europe in February of this year influenced the change of the country's policy on membership in the Alliance. The Swedish Ambassador congratulated the Speaker on the start of the EU negotiations, stressing that Sweden closely follows the European integration process of North Macedonia and is ready to help in terms of political dialogue, but also with specific financial assistance, reads the press release. dk/ik/