Skopje, 24 April 2023 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi held bilateral meetings Monday with the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, and the President of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, Marko Lotrič, as part of the annual Conference of the Speakers of EU Parliaments held in Prague, which the Speakers of the Parliaments of EU candidate members were also invited to.

According to a press release from Xhaferi’s Office, at the meeting with his Georgian counterpart it was stressed that Georgia is a small country with great aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration and North Macedonia was asked to provide support in that context, as well as share useful experiences from the country’s NATO and EU path.

“Speaker Xhaferi stressed that North Macedonia, considering all the difficulties it has faced on its path to NATO membership and the beginning of the EU screening process, supports all countries who strive towards Euro-Atlantic integration and is prepared to transfer all of its experiences on a parliamentary level,” Xhaferi’s Office said.

According to the press release, Xhaferi’s meeting with Papuashvili was also attended by the Chairperson of the EU Integration Committee at the Georgian Parliament, Maka Botchorishvili, and in that context, it was stressed that the exchange of experiences between the two Parliaments regarding their Euro-integration would be especially welcome through the committees of European affairs.

At the meeting with the President of the National Council of Slovenia, Marko Lotrič, Slovenia’s continued support for EU enlargement was stressed, and opinions were exchanged over the current developments in Europe, the challenges of high energy and food prices, migration flows and the need for closer cooperation with the goal of faster integration of the Western Balkan countries.

Xhaferi’s Office said that the Macedonian diaspora was also mentioned at the meeting, as well-integrated in Slovenia and representing an additional linking element between the two countries.

Photo: Parliament