Skopje, 31 May 2022 (MIA) – Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi addressed Tuesday the Skopje Economic and Finance Forum (SEFF). “We are a small country, with limited resources and we have to be accountable for the balance between indebtedness and economic growth,” said Xhaferi. According to him, all activity in foreign policy, opportunities for cooperation in the region and Euro-Atlantic perspectives, provide solid basis to expect support from international friends. Xhaferi said it was easier to overcome the need to achieve balance between energy security and enough food for the citizens with the support of European institutions and banks. Economic diplomacy, on the other hand, can do much to strengthen regional cooperation and European perspectives. “The situation can be overcome with the support of our international friends, European institutions and banks. Having their representatives here, as part of the forum, is an encouraging signal. Facilitating the conditions for doing business and attracting investments is in our power, but foreign policy activity as well as international and regional cooperation is a solid basis to expect support from our international friends,” said Xhaferi. According to him, the country must invest in human capital through quality healthcare and education. The inclusion of young people, he stressed, is very important in the creation of local environment policies, and regional infrastructure connectivity is of vital interest in encouraging trade and energy security. “Support for innovation and new technologies, building strong, independent institutions, rule of law, fight against corruption and organized crime is vital,” Xhaferi stressed. As regards the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Parliament Speaker pointed out that there’s no quick fix, adding that any such prolongation is further complicating the situation, affecting business, investment, labour, brain drain, and purchase power in the face of rising prices. “Being responsible for sustainable growth, development and progress of the country, we must make a major contribution to overcoming the difficulties caused by this new global challenge – the war in Ukraine,” Xhaferi said. Earlier, President Stevo Pendarovski opened day two of the conference, pointing to the need to build a model of economic growth that will be resilient to crisis. “In the period of interruption of normalcy, resilience depends on our adaptability and decisiveness. Our response should respond to domestic specificity. If we want sustainable development, first priority is to rethink the model of economic development. If our ambition is not only to survive, but also to thrive. Maybe short-term some of the policies will be hurtful but on a long term, they are very useful,” Pendarovski said. The agenda on day two of the international conference includes debates on “Energy and Green Transition”, “Digitalization, Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Trade”, “Financial Innovations and Investments Under Uncertainty”, “New Challenges to Good Governance”, and “Human Capital in the Twenty-First Century.”